Hercules

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Hercules- Known for his tremendous strenght and unyielding courage.  He was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Hera, wife of Zeus had tried to have him killed since birth.  Hera had driven Hercules insane, which caused him to kill his wife, Megara, and their children.  After regaining his sanity, he saught purification, he was given 12 arduous labors to conduct that no normal man could ever possibly pass.  Within 12 years he had completed all these tasks and then was absolved of his crimes.

    12 arduous labors
           -kill the Nemean Lion
           -kill the Hydra                                    
           -catch the Erymanthian Boar
           -catch the Cerynean Hind
           -drive off the Stymphalian Birds
           -clean the stables of Augeas
           -capture the Cretan Bull
           -capture the Horses of Diomed
           -retrieve the Girdle of Hippolyte
           -to herd the cattle of Geryon
           -Capture Cerberus
           -Take the Golden Apples of Hesperides

Birth and Childhood

  Hercules was born a twin to Iphicles, mortal son to Amphitryon and Alcmene.  Alcmene had lain with her husband on the same night she had been with Zeus resulting in consummation of twins.  Hera’s hatred for Hercules had no boundaries, several months after he was born, she sent two snakes into his crib to kill him, he throttled both thus proving Zeus’ infidelity to Hera.

Youth

  As a young adult, Hercules made his way to Thebes where he fell in love and married Megara, daughter of King Creon.  After a few years went by, Hera decided to induce madness upon Hercules, causing him to kill his wife and children.  After his madness was cured he went to see an oracle that told him to go serve King Eurystheus for tweve years and perform any task he wished for him to do.  Thus began the 12 arduous labors of Hercules, otherwise listed above.

Death
  
  Hercules was trying to croos a fast flowing river one day to get to the town of Tyrnes, a centaur named Nessus tell Hercules to go ahead and swim across.  While he was still in the water, Nessus tried to run off with his wife, Deianeira.  Hercules gets to the other shore and shoots Nessus with an poisoned arrow tipped with the blod of a Hydra.  As Nessus laid dying, he told Deianeira that if she wanted to keep Hercules from haffing affairs, she needed to give him the shirt covered in the blood, which was still poisoned, and he would not go after another woman.
  She suspected him of having an affair and had his sevent deliver the shirt to him to wear, as he put it on it began to burn immediately.  When he tried to remove it, flesh came from bone.  Seeing as he would die anyway, he built a funeral pyre, lit it, the laid in the flames.  His mortal have being burnt to ashes led the way to his immortal half becoming a full God and finally entering the gates of olympus