Gods,Heroes,Myths Greek Mythology Homer's epics,Expeditions

"It was time for the tenth and final labor, as initially promised by Eurystheus. To the west, there was a land where a monstrous creature called Geryon lived. This man had two legs, but from the waist up, he separated into three individuals. That is, he had three bodies, three heads, and six arms.

Geryon had an extremely famous herd of large, fat red cattle that were unique in the world. The herd was guarded by his loyal herdsman, Eurytion, a true giant, and a fearsome two-headed dog named Orthus. Hercules, following Eurystheus's command, had to go to Geryon's land and lead them to Tiryns. Hercules's journey to reach there took many months as he passed through many countries.

While passing through Libya, he encountered the local king, named Antaeus. He was a fierce and powerful man, said to be the son of the Earth. Antaeus challenged Hercules to a wrestling match and tried to kill him. Their battle was fierce and lasted many hours, as both were equal in strength. Eventually, Hercules realized that his opponent lost his strength when lifted off the ground, as he drew power from his mother, the Earth. Thus, he held him up for a long time and managed to defeat and kill him.

After great effort, Hercules reached Geryon's land, approached his famous herd, but first, Orthus attacked him. Hercules faced the challenge with his thick club and managed to kill him. At that moment, the herdsman, Eurytion, was informed. He ran to kill the stranger, but Hercules's club had a miraculous effect again. With a strong blow, he knocked down the gigantic Eurytion, leaving him dead on the ground.

From a cave, the dreadful monster Geryon appeared. If he approached, it would be very difficult for Hercules to face him, as if he managed to kill one of Geryon's bodies, the other two would attack him... Thus, Hercules used his bow with poisoned arrows and managed to kill all three bodies of his opponent before he got close. Then, he set up two pillars marking his journey, one in Europe and one in Libya, known as the Pillars of Hercules.

During his return, Hercules stopped briefly in Sicily. There he wrestled with Eryx, the son of Poseidon/Neptune, and killed him, as he had stolen one of his bulls. After many adventures, he managed to bring Geryon's herd to Tiryns. However, his trials were not over.

"You still have to complete two other tasks," said Eurystheus. "You killed the Lernaean Hydra with Iolaus's help and you were paid for cleaning the Augean stables. Thus, I invalidate these two tasks and you must replace them with two others."