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The Twelve Labours of Herakles
A map illustrating the Twelve Labours of Herakles (Heracles, romanized as Hercules), probably the most famous of the ancient heroes in Greek mythology. Born as a demi-god (son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene,) Herakles was tricked out of his kingdom and constantly pursued by Hera, which culminated in a fit of madness that drove him to murder his wife and children. As a penance, he was urged by the Oracle of Delphi to enter into service of Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for twelve years and perform a sequence of Twelve Labours that seemed impossible (the fixed narrative of Twelve Labours, as well as Herakles' signature lion's skin attire and a club is attributed to the ancient poet Peisander, from c. 600 BCE).