In the contest of wills betweenHera andZeus over whose candidate would behero, fated to defeat the remaining creatures representing an old order and bring about the reign of theTwelve Olympians, Eurystheus was Hera's candidate andHeracles—though his name implies that at one archaic stage of myth-making he had carried "Hera's fame"—was the candidate of Zeus.[8] The arena for the actions that would bring about this deep change are theTwelve Labors imposed on Heracles by Eurystheus. The immediate necessity for the Labours of Heracles is as penance for Heracles' murder of his own family, in a fit of madness, which had been sent by Hera; however, further human rather than mythic motivation is supplied by mythographers who note that their respective families had been rivals for the throne ofMycenae. Details of the individual episodes may be found in the article on theLabours of Heracles, but Hera was connected with all of the opponents Heracles had to overcome.[9]
Heracles' human stepfatherAmphitryon was also a grandson of Perseus, and since Amphitryon's father (Alcaeus) was older than Eurystheus' father (Sthenelus), he might have received the kingdom, but Sthenelus had banished Amphitryon for accidentally killing (a familiarmytheme) the eldest son in the family (Electryon). When, shortly before his son Heracles was born, Zeus proclaimed the next-born descendant of Perseus should get the kingdom, Hera thwarted his ambitions by delayingAlcmene's labour and having her candidate Eurystheus born prematurely at seven months.[3]
Heracles' first task was to slay theNemean Lion and bring back its skin, which Heracles decided to wear. Eurystheus was so scared by Heracles' fearsome guise that he hid in a subterranean bronzewinejar, and from that moment forth all labors were communicated to Heracles through aherald,Copreus.[10]
For his second labour, to slay theLernaean Hydra, Heracles took with him his nephew,Iolaus, as a charioteer. When Eurystheus found out that Heracles' nephew had helped him he declared that the labour had not been completed alone and as a result did not count towards the ten labours set for him.[11]
Eurystheus' third task did not involve killing a beast, but capturing one alive—theCeryneian Hind, a golden-hornedhind ordoe sacred toArtemis. Heracles knew that he had to return the hind, as he had promised, to Artemis, so he agreed to hand it over on the condition that Eurystheus himself come out and take it from him. Eurystheus did come out, but the moment Heracles let the hind go, she sprinted back to her mistress, and Heracles departed, saying that Eurystheus had not been quick enough.[12]
When Heracles returned with theErymanthian Boar, Eurystheus was again frightened and hid in his jar, begging Heracles to get rid of the beast; Heracles obliged.[13]
The fifth labour proposed by Eurystheus was to clear out the numerousstables of Augeias. Striking a deal with Augeias, Heracles proposed a payment of a tenth of Augeias' cattle if the labour was completed successfully. Not believing the task feasible, Augeias agreed, asking his son Phyleus to witness.Heracles rerouted two nearby rivers (Alpheis andPeneios) through the stable, clearing out the dung rapidly. When Augeias learned of Heracles' bargain for the task, he refused payment. Heracles brought the case to court, and Phyleus testified against his father. Enraged, Augeias banished both Phyleus and Heracles from the land before the court had cast their vote. However, Eurystheus refused to credit the labour to Heracles, as he had performed it for payment. So Heracles went and drove Augeias out of the kingdom and installed Phyleus as king. Heracles then took his tenth of the cattle and left them to graze in a field by his home.[14]
For his sixth labour, Heracles had to drive theStymphalian Birds off the marshes they plagued. He did so, shooting down several birds with his Hydra-poisoned arrows and bringing them back to Eurystheus as proof.[15]
For his seventh labour, Heracles captured theCretan Bull. He used alasso and rode it back to his cousin. Eurystheus offered to sacrifice the bull to Hera his patron, who hated Heracles. She refused the sacrifice because it reflected glory on Heracles. The bull was released and wandered to Marathon, becoming known as theMarathonian Bull.[16]
When Heracles brought back the man-eatingMares of Diomedes successfully, Eurystheus dedicated the horses to Hera and allowed them to roam freely in the Argolid.[17]Bucephalus,Alexander the Great's horse, was said to be descended from these mares.
To acquire the belt ofHippolyte, queen of theAmazons, was Heracles' ninth task. This task was at the request of Eurystheus' daughter, Admete.[18] For the tenth labour, he stole the cattle of thegiantGeryon, which Eurystheus then sacrificed to Hera.[19]
To extend what may have once been ten Labours to the canonical dozen, it was said that Eurystheus didn't count the Hydra, as he was assisted, nor the Augean stables, as Heracles received payment for his work. For the eleventh labour, Heracles had to obtain the Apples of theHesperides; he convinced their father, theTitanAtlas, to help him, but did his share of work by temporarily holding up the sky in the Titan's stead.[20] For his final labour, he was to captureCerberus, the three-headed hound that guarded the entrance toHades. When he managed to bring the struggling animal back, the terrified Eurystheus hid in his jar one more time, begging Heracles to leave for good and take the dog with him.[21]
After Heracles died, Eurystheus remained bitter over the indignity the hero had caused him. He attempted to destroy Heracles' many children (theHeracleidae, led byHyllus), who fled toAthens. He attacked the city but was soundly defeated, and Eurystheus and his sons were killed.[5] Though it is widely told that Hyllus killed Eurystheus, the stories about the killer of Eurystheus and the fate of his corpse vary,[22] but the Athenians believed the burial site of Eurystheus remained on their soil and served to protect the country against the descendants of Heracles, who traditionally included theSpartans andArgives.[23]
After Eurystheus' death, the brothersAtreus andThyestes, whom he had left in charge during his absence, took over the city, the former exiling the latter and assuming the kingship, whileTiryns returned to the kingship ofArgos.
Eurystheus was a character inHeracleidae, a play byEuripides.Macaria, one of the daughters ofHeracles, and her brothers and sisters hid from Eurystheus inAthens, which was ruled by KingDemophon. As Eurystheus prepared to attack, anoracle told Demophon that he would win if and only if anoble woman was sacrificed toPersephone. Macaria volunteered for the sacrifice and a spring was named theMacarian spring in her honor. Eurystheus speaks prophetically of his burial within Attica, claiming that he will be an anti-hero of sorts, though one who will eventually protect the Athenians.[24]
Eurystheus appears in the 1958 filmHercules and is portrayed by Italian actorArturo Dominici. In contrast to the character's mythology, the Eurystheus depicted in the film is only a supporting character seen as a criminal recruited to kill KingAeson ofIolcus. During the film's climax, he is confronted and strangled to death by Hercules' chain lasso.
Eurystheus appears in the 1960 filmGoliath and the Dragon, portrayed byBroderick Crawford. In this second known film appearance, he is depicted as awarlord set on conqueringThebes and becoming its new king. He sets Hercules on a dangerous mission (reminiscent of theTwelfth Labor of Hercules), believing the hero will perish and leave Thebes defenseless without its champion. Eurystheus is later killed in a dungeon scene with Hercules after being pushed by a slave girl into an open pit of snakes.
Eurystheus appears in the 2014 filmHercules, portrayed byJoseph Fiennes. Here, Eurystheus (depicted asKing of Athens in 361 BC, when the city was actually ademocracy) is responsible for the death of Hercules' family, rather than Hercules underHera's spell, having drugged Hercules and sent threeblack wolves to attack him. The wolves killed Hercules' family, though Hercules believed that it was he who killed his own family. Hercules avenges his family by stabbing Eurystheus to death with his own dagger.
^Antimache (Ἀντιμάχη) does not feature further in Greek myth, aside from a list of names of her sons and a genealogy for her, given in Apollodorus, 2.5.9, 2.8.1 & 3.9.2
^See Carl A.P. Ruck and Danny Staples,The World of Classical Myth (1994) VII. "Herakles: Making the New Olympia", pp.163-202.
^Walter Burkert,Greek Religion (1985) p. 210: "Heracles seems to carry Hera's name in his own, as if Hera were his fame (kleos), yet all we ever hear is that, from beginning to end, this jealous wife of Zeus persecutes her step-son with unrelenting hatred." For Hera's connection with each of Heracles' opponents, see under the individual Labours.