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Hercules, known for his great strength and bravery, is one of the most famous Greek heroes of all time.

Hercules was the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, and a woman named Alcmene. Zeus was not married to Alcmene. Hera, Zeus’s wife and queen of the gods, was very jealous of Alcmene and her son Hercules. Hera was so jealous that she sent two snakes to kill Hercules in his crib. The baby Hercules was so strong that he strangled the snakes before they could strangle him.

Hera continued to make trouble for Hercules. When he grew older, she cast a spell on him that made him do horrible things, including hurting his own wife and children.

Hercules felt awful about what he did. He asked Apollo, the god of truth and healing, to punish him. Apollo knew that Hercules was not to blame. He told Hercules to complete 12 very difficult tasks (labors) for the king. If he completed them all, he would be free of his guilt and live forever.

The 12 Labors of Hercules included killing dangerous animals and capturing wild creatures. Although the tasks seemed impossible, Hercules faced the challenges, completed all 12 Labors, and continued to have many more adventures.

The legend of Hercules lives on today. His stories show that no matter how hard they seem, tough challenges can be overcome.

Hercules' parents were
Apollo and Hera
Zeus and Alcmene
Zeus and Hera
Zeus and Alcmene Zeus's wife was
Alcmene
Apollo
Hera
Hera What was Hercules’ superpower?
He could fly.
his great strength
his magic powers
his great strength What was the name of the difficult tasks Hercules had to complete?
Hercules' Great Tasks
The 12 Labors of Hercules
Challenge of the Gods
The 12 Labors of Hercules What do you think a "Herculean task" is?
something easy to do
something horrible to do
a very very difficult task
a very very difficult task Why did Hercules perform the 12 Labors?
to become king
to live forever free of guilt
to impress Hera
to live forever free of guilt Why did Hera hate Hercules?
because he refused to worship her
because he stole something from her
because he was the son of Zeus and another woman
because he was the son of Zeus and another woman What spell did Hera cast on Hercules when he was older?
a spell that made him lose his strength
a spell that made him do terrible things
a spell that made him fall in love with her
a spell that made him do terrible things What did baby Hercules do when Hera sent snakes to kill him?
He cried for help.
He fell asleep.
He strangled the snakes.
He strangled the snakes.

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