Hercules Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Hercules
God of strength and heroes
Hercules battles Achelous, who has turned into a serpent. This artwork is from 1824 by François Joseph Bosio and is at the Louvre.
Abode	Rome
Symbol	Club, Nemean Lion, bow and arrows
Consort	Juventas
Parents	Jupiter and Alcmene
Greek equivalent	Heracles
Etruscan equivalent	Hercle

Hercules is a famous hero from Roman mythology. He was known for his amazing strength and bravery. In Greek stories, he is called Herakles, but the Romans had their own versions of his adventures. Hercules was the son of Jupiter (the king of the gods) and a human woman named Alcmene.

The Story of Hercules
- His Birth and Early Life
The Twelve Amazing Tasks
- Fighting the Nemean Lion
Hercules in Modern Stories
Images for kids
See also

The Story of Hercules

His Birth and Early Life

Baby Hercules strangling a snake sent to kill him in his cradle. This Roman marble statue is from the 2nd century CE.

Even though Hercules grew up to be a great protector, his life was tough from the very start. Juno, Jupiter's wife, was very jealous of Hercules because he was Jupiter's son with another woman.

Juno tried to stop Hercules from being born, but her plans were tricked. Later, when Hercules was just a baby in his cradle, Juno sent two dangerous snakes to kill him. But baby Hercules was already incredibly strong! He grabbed both snakes and strangled them with his bare hands.

In one story, Alcmene left baby Hercules in the woods to keep him safe from Juno's anger. The goddess Minerva found him and took him to Juno. Minerva pretended Hercules was an orphan who needed food. Juno didn't know it was Hercules and fed him. But the baby bit her, and she pushed him away. Her milk spilled across the night sky, creating the Milky Way. Juno then told Minerva to take care of the baby herself. By feeding him, Juno accidentally made Hercules even stronger!

The Twelve Amazing Tasks

A comic book cover featuring Hercules from around 1958.

One of the most famous parts of Hercules' story is when he had to complete twelve very difficult tasks. These tasks were given to him as a punishment, but by completing them, he showed his incredible power and became a true hero.

Here are the twelve tasks Hercules had to do:

Kill the Nemean Lion and bring back its fur.
Kill the Lernaean Hydra.
Capture the Ceryneian Hind (a magical deer).
Capture the Erymanthian Boar.
Clean the Augean stables in just one day.
Kill the Stymphalian Birds.
Capture the Cretan Bull.
Steal the Mares (horses) of Diomedes.
Get the Girdle (belt) of Hippolyte, the Amazon queen.
Get the Cows of Geryon.
Steal the golden Apples of the Hesperides.
Capture Cerberus, the three-headed guardian dog of The Underworld, and bring him back.

Fighting the Nemean Lion

A Greek stamp showing a mosaic of Hercules fighting the Nemean Lion.

The first task was to defeat the Nemean Lion. This was a huge, fierce lion that terrorized a place called Nemea. The lion would capture women and hide them in its cave. When warriors came to rescue them, the lion would attack.

The Nemean Lion was special because no weapon could hurt it. Arrows and swords would just bounce off its tough skin. Hercules soon realized he couldn't use his bow or club. He had to fight the lion with his bare hands.

Hercules followed the lion to its cave. When the lion jumped at him, Hercules caught it in mid-air. He used his immense strength to grab the lion's front and back legs and bent it backward. He broke the lion's back, finally defeating the beast and freeing the trapped women.

To remember this amazing feat, Zeus (Jupiter in Roman myth) placed the lion in the sky as the constellation Leo.

Hercules in Modern Stories

Hercules is not just an ancient hero; he also appears in many modern stories!

He is a character in Marvel Comics. In these comics, he is a powerful superhero and an ally of the mighty Thor. He is also a founding member and leader of a superhero team called the Champions. He was created by famous comic book writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962.

Hercules also stars in the popular 1997 Disney movie of the same name. In this animated film, he is voiced by actor Tate Donovan.

Images for kids

A fresco from Herculaneum showing Heracles and Achelous from Greco-Roman mythology, 1st century CE.
Hercules and the Nemean lion in the 15th-century Histoires de Troyes.
King Henry IV of France shown as Hercules defeating the Lernaean Hydra (which represents the Catholic League), by Toussaint Dubreuil, around 1600.
Hercules on Mount Olympus with Juno and Minerva, a fresco from Herculaneum, 1st century CE.
Hercules from Hatra, Iraq, from the Parthian period (1st–2nd century CE).
A bronze statuette of Hercules, 2nd century CE (from the museum of Alanya, Turkey).
Hercules and the Nemean Lion (a close-up), a silver plate, 6th century (Cabinet des Médailles, Paris).
Heracles and Omphale, a Roman fresco in the Pompeian Fourth Style (45–79 CE), at the Naples National Archaeological Museum, Italy.
A head from a statue of Herakles (Hercules) from Roman times (117–188 CE), found at the villa of Emperor Hadrian in Tivoli, Italy, now at the British Museum.
Hercules from Cappadocia or Caesarea, 1st century BCE – 1st century CE, at the Walters Art Museum.
Hercules from Roman times, 1st century BCE – 1st century CE, at the Walters Art Museum.
The Giant Hercules (1589) by Hendrik Goltzius.
Lucas Faydherbe, Bust of Hercules – from the collection of the King Baudouin Foundation.
Henry IV of France, as Hercules defeating the Lernaean Hydra (which represents the Catholic League), by Toussaint Dubreuil, around 1600. This is at the Louvre Museum.
Juno, with Hercules fighting a Centaur on the back of a Roman coin (215–15 BCE).
Hercules' club over his shoulder on a Roman denarius coin (around 100 BCE).
Maximinus II and Hercules with his club and lionskin (Roman, 313 CE).
A commemorative 5-franc coin from 1996, with Hercules in the center.
Hercules, as seen on a Denarius coin of the Roman Emperor Caracalla. Dated 212 CE.

Hercules facts for kids

Contents