"The Twelfth Labor of Hercules"

Illustration by Arthur Rackham

This powerful illustration from Rackham was inspired by the tale of the 'Twelfth Labor of Hercules' within the "Library" of Apollodorus. As recorded

appearing with the translation provided by Sir James G Frazer, the tale is described thus:

A twelfth labor imposed on Hercules was to bring Cerberus from Hades. Now this Cerberus had three heads

of dogs, the tail of a dragon, and on his back the heads of all sorts of snakes. When Hercules was about to

depart to fetch him, he went to Eumolpus at Eleusis, wishing to be initiated. However it was not then lawful for

foreigners to be initiated: since he proposed to be initiated as the adoptive son of Pylius. But not being able

to see the mysteries because he had not been cleansed of the slaughter of the centaurs, he was cleansed by

Eumolpus and then initiated. And having come to Taenarum in Laconia, where is the mouth of the descent to

Hades, he descended through it. But when the souls saw him, the fled, save Meleager and the Gorgon Medusa.

And Hercules drew his sword against the Gorgon, as if she were alive, but her learned from Hermes that she

was an empty phantom. And being come near to the gates of Hades he found Theseus and Pirithous, him who

wooed Persephone in wedlock and was therefore bound fast. And when they beheld Hercules, they stretched

out their hands as if they should be raised from the dead by his might. And Theseus, indeed, he took by the

hand and raised up, but when he would have brought up Pirithous, the earth quaked and he let go. And he

rolled away also the stone of Ascalaphus. And wishing to provide the souls with blood, he slaughtered one of

the kine of Hades. But Menoetes, son of Ceuthonymus, who tended the kine, challenged Hercules to wrestle,

and being seized round the middle, had his ribs broke; howbeit, he was let off at the request of Persephone.

When Hercules asked Pluto for Cerberus, Pluto ordered him to take the animal provided he mastered him

without the use of the weapons which he carried. Hercules found him at the gates of Acheron, and cased in

his cuirass and covered by the lion's skin, he flung his arms round the head of the brute, and though the dragon

in its tail bit him, he never relaxed his grip and pressure till it yielded. So he carried it off and ascended through

Troezen. But Demeter turned Ascalaphus into a short-eared owl, and Hercules, after showing Cerberus to

Eurystheus, carried him back to Hades.