00:00Thank you very much.
00:33Recall that by the original agreement on the number of labors to perform, Heracles had completed his ten labors.
00:40But because the slaying of the hydra, and the cleaning of the orgy and stables, had been discounted by Eurystheus,
00:47he was to perform two more tasks.
00:50So Eurystheus assigned Heracles to fetch three of the golden apples of the Hesperides as his next task.
00:58The Hesperides were the nymph daughters of the titan, Atlas, who resided in a beautiful garden, and tended to the
01:05golden apples of the garden.
01:07In that garden was a fearsome, many-headed dragon, called Laidan, an offspring of Echidna and Typhon, which protected the
01:15nymphs, and ensured the apples were never stolen.
01:18Learning that only the old man of the sea, Nerus, knew the location of the garden, the hero traveled to
01:25Euryria, where he trapped the sea deity, and made him show him how to get there.
01:30Shortly into his journey, he was attacked by a half-giant, named Antaeus, who, as long as he touched Gaia
01:36the earth, could not be killed.
01:39Heracles killed this giant, by holding him above the ground, and crushing him in a bear hug.
01:45Then he met Busyres, son of Poseidon, who wanted to use him as a human sacrifice to the earth shaker,
01:52his father.
01:53Heracles easily killed Busyres, and continued on his way.
01:57He got to the rock where the titan Prometheus was bound for eternity by Zeus, and tormented by the Caucasian
02:04eagle, which fed daily on his ever-regenerating liver, as punishment for stealing fire from the gods, to give to
02:10humans.
02:12Prometheus had already endured this suffering for 30 years, and just as the eagle came to feed, Heracles shot it
02:19dead, and freed the titan.
02:21In gratitude, Prometheus advised Heracles on how to proceed on his task, that he must persuade Atlas, the titan who
02:29held up the heavens, to get them for him, for only he, could peacefully retrieve the golden apples from his
02:35daughters, and their guardian dragon.
02:38Atlas agreed to fetch the apples, while Heracles temporarily took his place, carrying the heavens, till he returned.
02:46However, when the titan returned, he refused to take back the heavens, offering to deliver the apples himself, while Heracles
02:53forever remained in his place.
02:56Here and again, Heracles had to employ his wits.
03:00He pretended to agree to Atlas' demands, and cleverly asked him to hold the heavy load for a few seconds,
03:06so he could adjust his clothing, and put a padding on his shoulders, since he would be forever carrying something
03:12so heavy.
03:13Atlus foolishly took back the heavens, thinking it would be for a while, but Heracles snatched the apples instead, and
03:20ran off.
03:22In another version of the story, Heracles did not ask for Atlas' help.
03:26He went straight to the garden of the Hesperides, where he killed Laidon the dragon, and took the apples.
03:33Whichever story version it is, he successfully delivered the golden apples to Eurystheus, ready for his final task.
04:00For more information, visit www.hesperides.com.
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