The Laboring Hercules Trivia Quiz

Answer: With the lion's claws

After defeating the Nemean Lion, Hercules tried to skin the lion for its pelt with a knife. However, the knife was useless. The legend goes that the goddess Athena told Hercules to try using the claws of the lion. That worked and Hercules wore the lion's pelt for protection.

Different legends give different methods on how Hercules killed the lion. One says he shot it in the mouth while another says he beat it with a club and then strangled it.

Answer: A giant crab

Hercules devised a plan to defeat the hydra. This plan, like most myths, varies between versions. In one legend, he chopped one of the hydra's heads off, dipped his sword in its poisoned blood and used that to chop the others off so the heads would not grow back. Hera, seeing Hercules winning the battle, released a giant crab that Hercules also dispatched.

Although Hercules was ultimately successful in slaying the hydra, this task did not count because Hercules had received help from his nephew (or someone else, depending on the myth).

Answer: Artemis

Artemis is the Greek goddess of the hunt and is commonly associated with deer.

Hercules was ordered to capture the Ceryneian Hind because he had already proved his strength by slaying two beasts. The Ceryneian Hind was said to be so fast it could outrun an arrow.

In one version of the myth, Hercules captures the hind with Artemis' help. After Hercules brought the hind to King Eurystheus, he released the deer and it returned to Artemis, much to the king's chagrin as he wanted the Ceryneian Hind for himself.

Answer: Mount Erymanthos

The Erymanthian Boar was said to be a fearsome beast. Hercules was ordered to bring the boar alive back to King Eurystheus (in most versions). For this labor, Hercules received some help from Chiron, a centaur, who told him the boar would be easier to catch in the snow since the snow would slow the boar down.

After catching the boar, Hercules brought it to the king who declared it too gruesome to look at.

Answer: Hercules was paid for his work

This was one of two tasks that Hercules completed but did not count. The other was the Lernaean Hydra as Hercules had help in the actually slaying of the beast.

Hercules determined that it was not possible for him to clean the stables by hand because the cattle produced manure at a faster rate than he could clean. Instead, he managed to reroute rivers to pass through the stables. That worked. However, this labor did not count because Hercules had asked for and received some of the cattle for completing the task in one day. That was considered a payment, which was not allowed.

Answer: Marathon

Like the owner of the Erymanthian Boar, King Eurystheus was too terrified of the Cretan Bull to keep it. Hercules released the bull and it eventually made its way to Marathon. The same bull is said to later be killed by Theseus in a sacrifice to Apollo. Theseus had killed the bull to protect an old woman in Marathon from being killed by it.

Answer: They ate human flesh

The Mares of Diomedes ate human flesh, which made them wild and uncontrollable. In one version, Hercules was able to capture them by flooding the area so the horses could not run away. He then fed them the body of Diomedes, which calmed them enough to be muzzled and captured.

In some versions of this story, the horses breathed fire, which made muzzling their mouths even more difficult.

Answer: Queen of the Amazons

Most versions of the story state that Hippolyta took a liking to Hercules and was willing to give him the girdle when he asked for it. However, Hera tried to stop this by disguising herself as an Amazon and telling the Amazons that Hercules was actually going to kidnap Hippolyta.

As a result of Hera's actions, the Amazons began to attack Hercules and his crew. Hercules was forced to kill Hippolyta and steal her girdle. The girdle was then given to Admete, King Eurystheus' daughter.

Answer: Geryon

Geryon was the grandson of Medusa and he was a giant who owned the cattle Hercules needed. Prior to fighting Geryon, Hercules had to first defeat a two headed dog named Orthrus and Eurytion, the cattle watchman. Geryon is described as being a monster who looked like a giant human.

Once Hercules defeated Geryon and took his cattle, Hera played another trick on him. She scattered the cattle and it took Hercules a year to round them up again. The cattle ended up being sacrificed to Hera.

Answer: Hercules could not use weapons

Hades allowed Hercules to try to capture Cerberus, but only if Hercules used his bare hands. Hercules did this and managed to overpower the three-headed dog. When Hercules brought Cerberus back to King Eurystheus, the king begged Hercules to release Cerberus and if he did, Hercules would be free from performing any more labors. Hercules did, and that ended his twelve labors.