Rostam and Hercules

Now, let’s see how the story of 12 Labours or tasks of Heracles in Greek mythology, or Hercules, his counterpart in ancient Rome, worked out. As you can see they’re not 7 but 12. So a bit tougher and not even for the same causes. These two share the same form, and the two heroes both have to pass through a series of formidable tasks. But the causes that drive them are quite distinct from one another. You see, Rostam is called upon to save the king and his army who have marched to kill the White Div. Hercules, though, went on his quest to seek penitence. When he in consuming anger killed his wife, He asked the Oracle in Delphi how he could atone for his sin. This atonement took him 12 full years. He was asked to go to a city ruled by Eurystheus, his mortal cousin, and do what he asked of him to be redeemed. This story is so famous that the expression ‘a herculean task’ has become a common expression in English. If you want to know what it means, listen to the tasks the badbakht guy had to perform. There are gonna be quite a few names from here on out which are basically places and people from the ancient past and legends. 

One: Kill the Nemean Lion

The first task was traveling to Nemea and slaying the Nemean Lion, a fierce beast terrorizing the countryside. This monster of a lion had a hide was so tough that no arrow could pierce it. Heracles stunned the beast with his olive-wood club and then strangled it with his bare hands. Athena urged him to skin the lion, using the lion's own sharp claws, and ever after wore its hide.

Two: Kill the Hydra

The evil, snakelike Hydra had nine heads. If one got hurt, two would grow in its place. But Heracles quickly sliced off the heads, while his charioteer, Iolaus, sealed the wounds with a torch. Heracles made his arrows poisonous by dipping them in the Hydra's blood.

Three: Capture the Ceryneian Hind

The goddess Artemis loved and protected this stubborn little deer, which had gold horns. Heracles found it a challenge to capture the delicate hind without hurting it (and making Artemis angry). After following the hind for an entire year, he safely carried it away.

Four: Capture the Erymanthian Boar

The people of Mount Erymanthus lived in fear of this deadly animal. Heracles chased the wild boar up the mountain and into a snowdrift. He then took it in a net and brought it to the king of Tiryns, who was so frightened of the beast that he hid in a huge bronze jar.

Five: Clean the Augean Stables

Thousands of cows lived in these stables belonging to King Augeas. They had not been cleaned in 30 years, but Heracles was told to clean them completely in a single day. To do so he made two rivers bend so that they flowed into the stables, sweeping out the filth.

Six: Kill the Stymphalian Birds

These murderous birds lived around Lake Stymphalos. Their claws and beaks were sharp as metal and their feathers flew like darts. Heracles scared them out of their nests with a rattle and then killed them with the poison arrows he had made from the Hydra's blood.

Seven: Capture the Cretan Bull

This savage bull, kept by King Minos of Crete, was said to be insane and breathe fire. Heracles wrestled the mad beast to the ground and brought it back to King Eurystheus. Unfortunately, the king set it free, and it roamed Greece, causing terror wherever it went.

Eight: Capture the Horses 

King Diomedes fed his bloodthirsty horses on human flesh. Heracles and his men fought and killed King Diomedes and fed the king to his man-eating horses. This made the horses tame, so that Heracles was able to lead them to King Eurystheus.

Nine: Take the Girdle of Hippolyta, Queen of the Amazons

Heracles went to the land of the Amazons, where the queen Hippolyta (or Hippolyte) welcomed him and agreed to give him her girdle for Eurystheus's daughter. But Hera spread the rumor that Heracles came as an enemy. In the end he had to conquer the Amazons and steal the golden belt.

Ten: Capture the Cattle of Geryon

Geryon, a winged monster with three human bodies, had a herd of beautiful red cattle. He guarded his prized herd with the help of a giant and a vicious two-headed dog. Heracles killed Geryon, the giant, and the dog and brought the cattle to King Eurystheus.

Eleven: Take the Golden Apples of the Hesperides

The Hesperides were nymphs. In their garden grew golden apples protected by Ladon, a dragon with a hundred heads. Heracles struck a bargain with Atlas, who held up the earth. Heracles shouldered the earth while Atlas, the nymphs' father, fetched the apples from Erytheia.

Twelve: Capture Cerberus

Heracles was ordered to capture Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of the underworld, without using weapons. Heracles wrestled down the dog's wild heads, and it agreed to go with him to King Eurystheus. Cerberus was soon returned unharmed to Hades.

I hope in your quest of life, all your herculean tasks will be successfully accomplished; I guess that can make you heroes of your own lives. Thanks for listening. Talk to you soon.