Eurystheus hiding in a jar as Herakles brings him the Erymanthian boar. Side A from a red-figure kylix by Oltos, ca. 510 BC, Louvre

In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid: Sthenelus was his father and the "horsewoman" Nicippe his mother, and he was a grandson of the hero Perseus, as was his opponent Heracles. He was married to Antimache, daughter of Amphidamas. In the contest of wills between Hera and Zeus over whom the hero would be, who would defeat the remaining creatures representing an old order and bring about the reign of the Twelve Olympians, Eurystheus ("wide strength") was Hera's candidate and Heracles—though his name implies that at one archaic stage of myth-making he had been "Hera's man"— was the candidate of Zeus. The arena for the actions that would bring about this deep change are the Twelve Labors imposed on Heracles, by Eurystheus. The immediate necessity for the Labours of Heracles is as penance for Heracles' murder of his own family, in a fit of madness–that was sent by Hera, however; further human rather than mythic motivation is supplied by mythographers who note that their respective families had been rivals for the throne of Mycenae. Details on the Twelve Labours are to be found at the article on Heracles, but Hera was connected with all of the opponents Heracles had to overcome. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (3872 × 2592 pixel, file size: 4. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 536 pixelsFull resolution (3872 × 2592 pixel, file size: 4. ... For the son of Alexander the Great, see Heracles (Macedon). ... Hercules Carrying the Boar by Giambologna In Greek mythology, the Erymanthian Boar is remembered in connection with The Twelve Labours, in which Heracles, the (reconciled) enemy of Hera, visited in turn all the other sites of the Goddess throughout the world, to conquer every conceivable monster of nature and rededicate... Woman officiating at an altar, Attic red-figure kylix by Chairias, c. ... Kylix may mean: Kylix (drinking cup), a type of drinking cup used in ancient Greece Kylix programming tool This is a disambiguation page &#8212; a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Oltos was a painter of Greek red-figure pottery in the time window 525-500. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 560s BC - 550s BC - 540s BC - 530s BC - 520s BC - 510s BC - 500s BC - 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC Events and Trends Establishment of the Roman Republic March 12, 515 BC - Construction is completed on the... This article is about the museum. ... The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... Plan of Tiryns excavations Tiryns (in ancient Greek Τίρυνς and in modern Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archeological site in the Greek nomos of Argolis in the Peloponnese peninsula, some kilometres north of Nauplion. ... Mycenaean Greece, the last phase of the Bronze Age in ancient Greece, is the historical setting of the epics of Homer and much other Greek mythology. ... Argos (Greek: &#902;&#961;&#947;&#959;&#962;, Árgos) is a city in Greece in the Peloponnesus near Nafplio, which was its historic harbor, named for Nauplius. ... Sthenelus was the son of Perseus and Andromeda and a King of Mycenae. ... Nicippe is the name of two women in Greek mythology Nicippe one of the fifty daughters of Thespius and Megamede. ... For the constellation, see Perseus (constellation); for the Macedonian king, see Perseus of Macedon Perseus with the Head of Medusa Perseus was the son of Danae, the only child of Acrisius king of Argos. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) “Alcides” redirects here. ... Hesiod (Hesiodos) was an early Greek poet and rhapsode, believed to have lived around 700 BC. Greek historians debated the priority of Hesiod or of Homer, and even brought them together in an imagined poetic contest; most modern scholars agree that Homer lived before Hesiod. ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon (Greek: Δωδεκάθεον < δωδεκα, dodeka, twelve + θεον, theon, of the gods), in Greek religion, were the principal gods of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) “Alcides” redirects here. ... The Twelve Labours of Herakles are a series of stories connected by a continuous narrative, concerning a penance carried out by Herakles. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) “Alcides” redirects here. ... A clay tablet with writing in Linear B from Mycenae. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) “Alcides” redirects here. ...

Heracles' human step-father Amphitryon was also a grandson of Perseus, and since Amphitryon's father (Alcaeus) was older than Eurystheus' father (Sthenelus), he might have received the kingdom, but Sthenelus had banished Amphitryon for accidentally murdering (a familiar mytheme) the eldest son in the family (Electryon). When Zeus proclaimed the next born descendant of Perseus should get the kingdom shortly before his son Heracles was born, Hera thwarted his ambitions by delaying Alcmene's labour and having her candidate Eurystheus born prematurely. Amphitryon, or Amphitrion, in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. ... Alcaeus may refer to several ancient Greek figures: in mythology, Alcaeus was the son of Perseus and the father of Amphitryon. ... In Greek mythology, Sthenelus refers to four different people. ... In the study of mythology, a mytheme is an irreducible nugget of myth, an unchanging element, similar to a cultural meme, one that is always found shared with other, related mythemes and reassembled in various ways—bundled was Claude Lévi-Strausss image— or linked in more complicated relationships... In Greek mythology, Electryon was the father of Alcmene, son of Perseus and Andromeda, and king of Mycenae. ... For other uses, see Zeus (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology Alcmene, or Alkmênê (might of the moon) was the mother of Heracles. ...

Heracles first task was to slay the Nemean Lion and bring back its skin, which Heracles decided to wear. Eurystheus was so scared by Heracles' fearsome guise that he hid in a subterranean bronze winejar and from that moment forth all labors were communicated to Heracles through a herald, Copreus. The Nemean Lion (Latin: Leo Nemaeus) was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived in Nemea. ... Heralds, wearing tabards, in procession to St. ... In Greek mythology, Copreus was King Eurystheus herald. ...

For his second labour, to slay the Lernaean Hydra, Heracles took with him his nephew, Iolaus, as a charioteer. When Eurystheus found out that Heracles' nephew had helped him he declared that the labour had not been completed alone and as a result did not count towards the ten labours set for him. For other uses, see Hydra. ... In Greek mythology, Iolaus (Greek: ΄Ιόλαος) was a son of Iphicles and thus a nephew of Heracles. ...

Eurystheus' third task did not involve killing a beast, but to capture the Cerynian Hind, a golden-horned stag sacred to Artemis. Heracles knew that he had to return the hind as he had promised to Artemis, so he agreed to hand it over on the condition that Eurystheus himself came out and took it from him. Eurystheus came out, but the moment Heracles let the hind go, it sprinted back to her mistress, and Heracles left saying that Eurystheus had not been quick enough. The Ceryneian Hind, also called Cerynitis, was an enormous hind sacred to Artemis, the chaste goddess of the hunt and moon. ... For other uses, see Artemis (disambiguation). ...

When Heracles returned with the Erymanthian Boar, Eurystheus was frightened and hid again in his jar and begged Heracles to get rid of the beast; Heracles obliged. Hercules Carrying the Boar by Giambologna In Greek mythology, the Erymanthian Boar is remembered in connection with The Twelve Labours, in which Heracles, the (reconciled) enemy of Hera, visited in turn all the other sites of the Goddess throughout the world, to conquer every conceivable monster of nature and rededicate...

The fifth labour proposed by Eurystheus was to clear out the numerous tables of Augeias. Striking a deal with Augeias, Heracles proposed a payment of 1/10th Augeias' cattle if the labour was completed successfully. Not believing the task feasible, Augeias agreed, asking his son Phyleus to witness. Heracles rerouted two nearby rivers (Alpheiso and Peneios) through the stable, clearing out the dung rapidly. When Augeias learned of Heracles' other motives for the task, he refused payment. Heracles brought the case to court, and Phyleus testified against his father. Enraged, Augeias banished both Phyleus and Heracles from the land before the court had cast vote. However, Eurystheus refused to credit the labour to Heracles, as he performed it for extraneous payment.

For his seventh labour Heracles captured the Cretan Bull. Heracles used a lasso and rode it back to his cousin. Eurystheus wanted to sacrifice the bull to Hera his patron, who hated Heracles. She refused the sacrifice because it reflected glory on Heracles. The bull was released and wandered to Marathon, becoming known as the Marathonian Bull. Heracles capturing the Cretan Bull. ... Lariat redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hera (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, the Cretan Bull was either the bull that carried away Europa or the bull Pasiphae fell in love with. ...

When Heracles brought back the man-eating Mares of Diomedes successfully, Eurystheus dedicated the horses to Hera and allowed them to roam freely in the Argolid. Bucephalus, Alexander the Great's horse, was said to be descended from these mares. Heracles capturing the Mares of Diomedes. ... Statue of Alexander the Great riding Bucephalus, Thessaloniki, Greece For the branding mark anciently used on horses, see Bucephalus (brand). ... For the film of the same name, see Alexander the Great (1956 film). ...

To acquire the belt of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons was Heracles's ninth task. This task was at the request of Eurystheus' daughter, Admete. In Greek mythology, Hippolyta is the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle she was given by her father Ares, the god of war. ... The Amazons (in Greek, ) were a mythical ancient nation of all-female warriors. ... Daughter of Eurystheus in Greek mythology, Admete (or Admeta) asked her father to require Heracles to steal Hippolytes girdle for her. ...

To extend what may have once been ten Labours to the canonical dozen, it was said that Eurystheus didn't count the Hydra, as he was assisted, or the Augean stables as Heracles received payment for his work. For the eleventh labour Heracles had to steal the Apples of the Hesperides; his final labour was to capture Cerberus, the three-headed hound that guarded the entrance to Hades. For the ancient Greek city Hesperides see Benghazi. ... Heracles and threatened Cerberus, Attic black-figure neck-amphora, ca. ... Hades, Greek god of the underworld, enthroned, with his bird-headed staff, on a red-figure Apulian vase made in the 4th century BC. For other uses, see Hades (disambiguation). ...

After Heracles died, Eurystheus attempted to destroy his many children (the Heracleidae, led by Hyllus), who fled to Athens. He attacked the city, but was soundly defeated, and he and his sons were killed. The stories about the killer of Eurystheus and the fate of his corpse vary, but the Athenians believed it remained on their soil and served to protect the country against the descendants of Heracles, who traditionally included the Spartans and Argives. It is also widely believed that after his death, Eurystheus's head shrivelled up to form the shape of a ugly duckling. Heracleidae, the general name for the numerous descendants of Heracles (Hercules), and specially applied in a narrower sense to the descendants of Hyllus, the eldest of his four sons by Deianira, the conquerors of Peloponnesus. ... In Greek mythology, Hyllus (also Hyllas or Hylles) was the son of Heracles and Deianira and husband of Iole. ... This article is about the capital of Greece. ... For other uses see Sparta (disambiguation). ... This article is about the city in Greece. ...

After Eurystheus' death, the brothers Atreus and Thyestes, whom he had left in charge during his absence, took over the city, the former exiling the latter and assuming the kingship, while Tiryns returned to the overlordship of Argos. In Greek mythology, King Atreus (Greek: Ατρεύς, Atreús) (fearless) of Mycenae was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia and father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. ... In Greek mythology, Thyestes was the son of Pelops, King of Mycenae, and Hippodamia and father of Pelopia and Aegisthus. ... Plan of Tiryns excavations Tiryns (in ancient Greek Τίρυνς and in modern Τίρυνθα) is a Mycenaean archeological site in the Greek nomos of Argolis in the Peloponnese peninsula, some kilometres north of Nauplion. ... This article is about the city in Greece. ...

Eurystheus in Euripides

Eurystheus was a character in Heracleidae, a play by Euripides. Heracleidae is a play by Euripides c. ... A statue of Euripides. ...

Macaria, one of the daughters of Heracles, and her brothers and sisters hid from Eurystheus in Athens, ruled by King Demophon. As Eurystheus prepared to attack, an oracle told Demophon that he would win if and only if a noble woman was sacrificed to Persephone. Macaria volunteered for the sacrifice and a spring was named the Macarian spring in her honor. In Greek mythology, Macaria was one of the Heraclidae, children of Heracles. ... Hercules, a Roman bronze (Louvre Museum) “Alcides” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, Demophon referred to two different kings: one of Eleusis and the other, Athens Demophon was a son of King Celeus and Queen Metanira. ... Consulting the Oracle by John William Waterhouse, showing eight priestesses in a temple of prophecy An oracle is a person or persons considered to be the source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion; an infallible authority, usually spiritual in nature. ... Nobility is a traditional hereditary status (see hereditary titles) that exists today in many countries (mainly present or former monarchies). ... Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874) (Tate Gallery, London In Greek mythology, Persephone (Greek Περσεφόνη, Persephónē) was the Queen of the Underworld of epic literature. ...

References

• Kerenyi, Karl, 1959. The Heroes of the Greeks

One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Karl (Carl, Károly) Kerényi (January 19, 1897 - April 14, 1973) was born in Hungary but became a citizen of Switzerland in 1943. ...

See also

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