Hercules is the most beloved and revered hero in the entire Peloponnese. He was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. But Alkmena was the wife of Amphitrion, and she had twins. The eldest was the frail and weak Eurystheus, and the mighty Hercules the younger, so he had to be in the service of his elder brother all his life. But Zeus, knowing that this happened thanks to the cunning tricks of Hera, concluded an indestructible agreement with her, according to which Hercules will submit to his older brother for only 12 years, and then become free and immortal. Hercules received a good education, but best of all he succeeded in affairs where it was necessary to show strength and daring. At the request of Eurystheus, Hercules destroyed the Nemean lion, then killed the Lernean hydra. The next, 3 feat of Hercules is the Stiffali birds, the reprisal of which brought people peace and quiet.
The Romans Hercules received the name Hercules.
What kind of birds are these?
These monstrous birds lived on the shores of Lake Stimphal in Arcadia. In those days, it was a wild mountainous area in which Pan lived. And the birds themselves appeared by the will of the evil and cruel god Ares. He asked the craftsman of all trades Hephaestus to forge birds from copper. Their copper bodies were invulnerable to people with their weapons.
Birds turned the entire county into a desert. With their copper poisoned beaks and claws, they tore into pieces both people and animals. But the worst thing was their feathers, which were also forged from bronze. Taking off, they dropped them on the one who dared to attack them. Poison arrow feathers brought death to all living things. The battle with these birds is certain death. And they sent for such a
feat Hercules. Stimphalia birds had to be destroyed at all costs.
How did the hero get down to business
After listening to the envoy Koprey, Hercules decided to take refuge in the forests surrounding the poisonous lake, and wait until the birds fly up at dawn in the morning. In the meantime, he threw himself on the sturdy skin of a Nemean lion and received from his patroness Athena Pallas two copper tympans forged by Hephaestus. The warrior goddess suggested that it was best to hit the tympans and raise the birds with a sonorous sound. She advised Hercules to stand on a high hill near the forest where the Stiffali birds nested, and when they take off, shoot them. This will be the deed of Hercules. Stimphalia birds will be exterminated.
Battle
Hercules stood on a high hill when a huge flock soared into the sky with a black cloud and the sun went down. Birds circled over the hero and dropped sharp deadly feathers. But the skin of a lion protected both the head and body of Hercules.
He only managed to pull the bowstring and hit the monsters with the golden arrows that bright Apollo gave him. Then he began to lift bird feathers and shoot them with their own weapons. They groaned into the lake and drowned in it. The flock of birds was enormous. Great was the feat of Hercules. Stimphalia birds had to be eliminated, although he had already begun to get tired.
The end of the battle
When the hero’s arrows began to end, in the distance he saw his patroness, who was watching the progress of the battle.
And Heracles remembered that you could beat the tympans. These sounds were frightened by the birds. In fear of the hero’s deadly arrows and deafening sounds, they soared high up into the sky and disappeared behind the clouds. Where did they fly? Away from the heroic inhabitants of the Peloponnese, on Pontus Euxinus. That was the feat of Hercules. Stimphalia birds forever ceased to nest in Arcadia. And this area has become the happiest and most calm, bringing people only pleasure. Everything has blossomed in Arcadia. Such was the third feat of Hercules. Stimphalia birds forever stopped their robberies in Greece. The Greeks sighed calmly. They were no longer annoyed by Stiffali birds. The feat of Hercules, the summary of which is presented here, was continued by courageous argonauts. They finished them off.
Hercules
After this, Hercules still fulfilled the impossible requirements of the weak and cowardly Eurystheus. Hercules fought with the unusually beautiful Kerinoe doe, which made the desert out of all the fields. He killed a huge and formidable fire-breathing boar, who lived on Mount Erimanf, cleaned the barnyard of King Avgius, tamed the Cretan bull.
And this is not all the deeds of Hercules. He met many horrors on his way. He even had to go down to the dark kingdom of Hades. Finally, the hero prayed to his father Zeus, and after twelve years of service he was freed from Eurystheus. After this, many more exploits to help people made Heracles. And when it came time for him to die, Athena, along with the swift Hermes, took him to heaven. So the great hero entered the host of immortals. And his forever young Hebe became his wife. He received such an award for his exploits on earth.
People remember the deeds of Hercules
He became famous on earth as a fighter with injustice. Hercules became an ideal for the Stoics, who greatly appreciated his stamina, courage and willingness to serve people. The Burgundian royal family believed that it descended from Hercules and Queen Elisa. The Christians subsequently treated Hercules with great respect, and his stucco images adorn the temples in Pergamum along with scenes from the Old Testament. Hercules represents the power of the Christian spirit.