Eurystheus

Q: Who was Eurystheus?

In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was the king of Mycenae and Tiryns, a grandson of Perseus, who set the Twelve Labours for Heracles. He was the son of Sthenelus and Nicippe.

In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was the king of Mycenae and Tiryns, a grandson of Perseus, who set the Twelve Labours for Heracles. He was the son of Sthenelus and Nicippe. Hera hastened his birth so that he, and not Heracles, would be the descendant of Perseus to rule, and he later pursued the sons of Heracles until he died fighting Athens.

Birth and Family

Eurystheus was the son of Sthenelus, a son of Perseus and Andromeda, and of Nicippe, a daughter of Pelops. His sisters were Alcyone and Medusa (Apollodorus, Library 2.4.5). Apollodorus says that when Heracles was about to be born, Zeus announced among the gods that the descendant of Perseus born that day would rule Mycenae; Hera persuaded Eileithyia to hold back the birth of Alcmena’s child and brought forward Eurystheus, born after seven months (Apollodorus, Library 2.4.5). Homer tells the same story. Hera tricked Zeus, who had sworn to it, and Zeus in his anger cast Ate out of heaven; later he groaned to see his son worn down by the labours Eurystheus imposed (Iliad 19.95–133).

Family of Eurystheus

Parents: Nicippe, Sthenelus
Children: Admete, Alexander, Iphimedon, Mentor, Perimedes, Eurybius (versions differ)
Siblings: Alcyone, Medusa

See the full family tree

The Twelve Labours

After Hera drove Heracles mad and he killed his children, the Pythian priestess told him to live at Tiryns, serve Eurystheus for twelve years and perform the labours given to him, after which he would be immortal (Apollodorus, Library 2.4.12). Apollodorus lists the labours, in the order Eurystheus commanded them, as:

to bring the skin of the Nemean lion (2.5.1),
to kill the Lernaean Hydra (2.5.2),
to bring the Cerynian hind alive (2.5.3),
to bring the Erymanthian boar alive (2.5.4),
to clear the dung of Augeas in a single day (2.5.5),
to drive away the Stymphalian birds (2.5.6),
to bring the Cretan bull (2.5.7),
to bring the mares of Diomedes (2.5.8),
to bring the belt of Hippolyte (2.5.9),
to bring the cattle of Geryon (2.5.10),
to fetch the golden apples of the Hesperides (2.5.11),
to bring Cerberus up from Hades (2.5.12).

Eurystheus did not accept two of these. He refused to count the Hydra because Heracles had been helped by Iolaus, and the stables of Augeas because Heracles had asked for payment, so that two more were added to the ten the oracle had named (Apollodorus, Library 2.5.2, 2.5.5, 2.5.11). Apollodorus says that Eurystheus was so amazed at the Nemean lion that he forbade Heracles to enter the city again and ordered him to show his trophies before the gates, and that he had a bronze jar made to hide in underground. He sent his commands through his herald Copreus, a son of Pelops of Elis, who had killed Iphitus and been purified by Eurystheus (Apollodorus, Library 2.5.1). Homer also knows Copreus as the man who carried Eurystheus’ orders to Heracles (Iliad 15.639–640). In the Iliad Athena complains that she had often saved Heracles when he was worn out by Eurystheus’ labours (Iliad 8.362–363).

Eurystheus and the Heracleidae

When Heracles had been taken to the gods, his sons fled from Eurystheus to Ceyx at Trachis. Eurystheus demanded their surrender and threatened war, and they fled across Greece until they reached Athens and sat down as suppliants at the altar of Mercy. The Athenians refused to hand them over, fought Eurystheus, and killed his sons Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes (Apollodorus, Library 2.8.1; compare Pausanias 1.32.6).

Death of Eurystheus

The sources disagree about who killed him. In Apollodorus he fled in his chariot but was caught and killed by Hyllus at the Scironian cliffs, and Hyllus gave his head to Alcmena, who gouged out its eyes with weaving pins (Apollodorus, Library 2.8.1). Pausanias says that Eurystheus fled from Attica after the battle and was killed near the Scironian Rocks by Iolaus, and describes his tomb there (Pausanias 1.44.10). In Euripides’ Heracleidae he is captured and brought before Alcmena, who has him put to death. Before dying, he promises that, buried before the shrine of the maiden goddess of Pallene, he will protect Athens from beneath the ground and be the bitterest enemy of the descendants of the Heracleidae (Euripides, Heracleidae 928–934, 1026–1052).

Mycenae later passed to the Pelopids. Apollodorus says that the Mycenaeans received an oracle bidding them to choose a Pelopid as king and sent for Atreus and Thyestes (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.10–11).