Ancient literature includes many tales of heroes and their adventures, of their battles and wanderings, of the gods who either helped a person or remained indifferent to cruelty. One of these heroes is Hercules - the legendary son of Zeus the Thunderer and the earthly woman Alkmena. But it was not divine origin that glorified him, but his deeds. The exploits of Hercules (the Hesperides apples are the twelfth and last in a row) are stories about the incredible difficulties that the hero had to overcome. But first things first.
A little background
The myth "Apples Hesperides" (a brief summary is given below) tells of one of the most difficult exploits of the ancient hero. But before you talk about its essence, you should tell about the character himself. Hercules was the son of Zeus and the earthly woman. Before the birth of the boy, the Thunderer foretold him power over the whole world. But the jealous Hera, the wife of God, did not like it. By cunning and cunning, she made Hercules go into exile and was forced to serve Tsar Eurystheus, a cowardly and cowardly man. Fearing a relative, the ruler sent him to perform ridiculous tasks, hoping that he would not return. But each time Hercules returned victorious.
New task
The Hesperides Apples myth, a summary of which we will examine, begins with the fact that the king calls the hero to himself immediately after his return. This time he sends Hercules to the ends of the earth, where no one knew the way. Eurystheus ordered this time to bring him golden apples from the treasured garden. In that garden, which the daughters of the titan Atlant looked at, there was a tree grown by Gaia and presented to Hera on her wedding day with Zeus. None of the mortals could take the fruits from him, and it was forbidden to enter the garden. The hero had nowhere to go: he is again going on a long journey to fulfill the assignment.
The Hesperides Apples myth tells us that Hercules first needed to find the way to the coveted garden. Whom he asked, but no one, neither the wise old men, nor the demigods, could know this. Forest nymphs advised the hero to ask the sea god Nereus. Catching him sleepy on the shore and holding him in his arms (God resisted and tried to break free), the son of Zeus found out the way. Without delaying more than a minute, he sets off for the north.
Hesperides Apples: Summary
Finally, Hercules reached the end of the world, where an unusual apple tree grew. In the place where the Eridan River flowed, Atlas stood and held the vault of heaven on its shoulders. Having greeted the titan, he told him who he was and why he had come. It turned out that the Hesperids were daughters of the titan, so he volunteered to help Hercules.
The Hesperides Apples myth tells us that Atlas (or Atlas) shifted the sky onto Hercules’s shoulders and, having straightened his back, went to the garden. He was gone for a long time, the hero's muscles were numb, and sweat flooded his forehead. And only the help of Athena allowed to withstand this burden. Finally, titanium appeared, bearing brilliant fruits in his hands. He offered to take them to Eurystheus, but Hercules unraveled that in this way Atlas was trying to evade his work. Running to the tricks, he returned the sky to the shoulders of Atlanta, picked up the apples and hurried home.
Afterword
The “Hesperides Apples” myth, a summary of which we are considering, ends with the hero returning to Mycenae. However, the king was not at all happy with Hercules and his offering: he did not accept apples, but he drove out the servant. Hercules presented the fruits to Athena, and she returned them to the garden of the daughters of Atlanta.
Having completed the last task of King Eurystheus, Hercules became free. But the fame of him had long been ahead of him. Everyone admired the courage and strength, stamina and quick wits of the hero, but he himself did not stop helping people.