LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Heracles: Tasks
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The first task was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its skin, this lion was far more fearsome than the one slain by Heracles in his youth. Its hide was impervious to any blade and his club splintered upon the first strike. Heracles defeated the beast by throttling it with his bare hands. Heracles spent hours trying to skin the lion unsuccessfully, and gradually growing angrier as it appeared he would be unable to complete his first task. Eventually Athene, in the guise of an old crone, helped Heracles to realise that the best tool to cut the hide were the creatures own claws and so with a little divine intervention he completed his first task. From that moment forth he wore the impenetrable hide as armour, and Eurystheus was so scared by Heracle's fearsome guise that he hid in a bronze jar and from that moment forth all labours were communicated to Heracles through a herald.
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Hera�s jealousy continued to grow at which time she caused Heracles to believe that his family were enemies, this triggered him to slaughter his wife, children and nephews. Heracles was banished from Thebes and commanded by his father, Zeus, to speak to the Oracle, Delphi. The Oracle commanded Heracles to serve King Eurystheus at which time he will be forgiven for his sins. King Eurystheus was jealous of Heracles and set him twelve tasks in hope of seeing to his destruction. These twelve labours included:
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Hera, in one of her many interferences, caused Heracles to go mad. In his fit, he murdered the wife and children of Eurystheus, mistaking them for his own family. As penance, he then spent twelve years enduring twelve arduous tasks dreamt up by Eurystheus. These Twelve Labors would test Heracles’ strength, prowess, and virtue, and make him the standard of heroism:
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(It was said that Eurystheus was frightened by Heracles' appearance in lion cloak that the cowardly king hid in bronze jar. Eurystheus ordered Heracles to present all completed task outside the city gate in the future. However this incident was more likely to happen at the Four Labour.)
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