Ancient Greek Mythology is filled with the daring exploits and thrilling adventures of
a group of extraordinary people ____1_____as heroes.
Heroes were the ones who faced down monsters, defeated enemies, and righted
injustices.
The greatest of all the_____2____ heroes was Hercules, better known by his Roman
name, Hercules.
Like many heroes, Heracles had one parent who was a god, and another who was
mortal.
These demigods, as they were called, often _____3_____and died like mortals, but
they usually possessed some special gift that set them above the race of mankind.
Heracles’ great gift was physically strength. And his father was Zeus.
But _____4_______enough, neither of these advantages made his life an easy one.
Though Heracles looked like any mortal infant, his mortal mother, Queen Alcmena,
believed that her son was destined for more than an _____5_______life.
Good night little Heracles. Sleep well my child.
But while Heracles may have had ______6_______in high places, he also had a
powerful enemy—Zeus’ wife, Hera, the queen of the gods.
Heras, jealous of Queen Alcmena and her______7_____ son, decided to send them a
lethal gift.
Go to the crib of Heracles! And don’t come back until your task is completed!
Yes, great Hera.
This shouldn’t take too long. He’s nothing but a baby. And he’s asleep.
The_____8_______ serpents made their move.
Heracles! Oh, Heracles!
But the baby Heracles had already taken the situation______9_____.
This was the first sign of Heracles’ gift from Zeus, a terrible and overpowering
_____10______strength, such as the world of mortals had never seen.
As Heracles grew up, he was trained in all the sports and skilled arts, but his strength
far outpaced his teachers.
Now Heracles, let’s see if you can_____11______ it as far as that.
Okay, we’re done with javelin throwing.
But all that pent-up power in a mortal body was a lot for the young Heracles
to______12________.
He had a violent temper, and didn’t always know his own strength.
And with the jealous eyes of Hera, always on him, Heracles was destined to have a
dangerous and difficult future.
The name “Heracles” ____13______“Hera’s glory.” Because Hera sent him a lifetime
of difficulties and challenges, Heracles suffered greatly, but he also achieved
tremendous victories that led to everlasting ____14_____and glory.
But in his youth, Heracles was a bit out of control, struggling to deal with his great
strength, and sometimes Hera ____15_______him into situations where other
people got hurt.
Heracles felt badly about this, and to make amends, he went to consult a kind of
______16______advisor known as the Oracle of Delphi.
The oracle sent him to King Eurystheus who would be in charge of assigning Heracles
a ____17______of difficult tasks to atone for his mistakes.
These tasks became known as the famous Labors of Heracles.
Young Heracles was determined to follow the oracle’s advice, even if it
_____18_____the long years of servitude to the King.
Unfortunately for Heracles, King Eurystheus was a weak and spiteful man.
He took an _____19______dislike to Heracles, and was jealous of his strength and
good looks.
What is my first labor?
Over in that valley is a lion who lives in a cave. He’s been ___20_____my people.
I want you to go kill that lion, and bring back his skin.
That should be simple enough for a strong guy like you.
And if the lion kills you first, well too, too bad.
The Nemean Lion—sent by the goddess Hera—was so powerful that its
____21_____could not be penetrated by iron, bronze or stone.
Good luck, Heracles. Ha!
When Heracles arrived at the cave, he _____22_____his bow and arrow and
crouched down to wait.
He didn’t have to wait long.
Heracles was amazed that his arrow bounced ____23______the lion.
Heracles quickly realized that this was no ordinary lion, but then again Heracles was
no ordinary man.
Heracles not only won the fight, but he made a hooded cloak out of the lion’s
impenetrable skin.
This was to become Heracles’ special______24_____.
When Heracles arrived back at the palace, King Eurystheus mistook him for the lion.
Help! Save me!
It’s just me.
You! You weren’t ____25_____to survive. Er—I mean—how on earth did you do it,
my boy?
The King was amazed that Heracles had defeated the lion.
King Eurytheus realized, then and there, that he’s have to _____26______with much
more difficult labors if he was ever going to destroy this hero Heracles.
Over the next decade, the King sent Heracles_____27_______, on ever more difficult
and dangerous missions.
He defeated a terrible swamp monster called a Hydra.
He_____28_______ an enormous wild boar.
He drove out a menacing flock of birds that were terrorizing a whole village.
And he single-_____29______ captured a herd of fierce cattle.
But the more the king tried to get rid of Heracles, the more he enhanced the young
man’s reputation, for Heracles was winning victory after victory and becoming
_____30________famous and admired.