Heracles, son of Zeus, was a hero famous for his physical strength and for performing the Twelve Labors. He was easily recognized by his lion skin, club, and bow.
Iphicles, son of Alcmene and Amphitryon, was the half-brother of Heracles and a minor hero himself. His son Iolaus became Heracles’ faithful companion.
The Stymphalian Birds were dangerous creatures who plagued the woods around Lake Stymphalus. Heracles chased them away—or, in some traditions, wiped them out entirely—as one of his Twelve Labors.
The Graeae were three sisters who lived in a remote corner of the world, sharing a single eye and a single tooth among them. They were best known for (reluctantly) helping Perseus in his quest to slay Medusa.
Antaeus, son of Poseidon, was a famously strong wrestler from Libya who was slain by the hero Heracles. Antaeus could not be defeated as long as he was touching the earth, so Heracles hoisted him off the ground to kill him.
The Cretan Bull was a magnificent creature sent by Poseidon to the Cretan king Minos. When Minos hesitated to sacrifice the bull to Poseidon, as commanded, the god caused it to go wild and terrorize the island. Heracles eventually ended this rampage by capturing the beast as one of his Twelve Labors.
The Nemean Lion was a ferocious beast whose hide was invulnerable to weapons. It terrorized Nemea until Heracles finally killed it with his bare hands as the first of his Twelve Labors.
The Heracles is a tragedy by Euripides, usually dated to around 415 BCE. In the play, Heracles returns home after completing his Twelve Labors, just in time to save his family from a violent usurper. But he is driven mad by the gods and ends up killing the wife and children he has just saved.
The Erymanthian Boar was a ferocious beast, known for terrorizing those who lived near its mountainous lair. In the end, it was captured alive by Heracles, who had been sent to fight the creature for his fourth labor.
Hippolyta was an Amazon queen and the owner of a famous mythical girdle. She fought Heracles when the hero was sent to her kingdom to steal the girdle for his ninth labor.
