What is herculean dozen?

Answer 1

I believe you are referring to the 12 Labours of Hercules. They are as follows:

1. He had to slay The Nemean Lion, which had an impenetrable skin. He choked it to death
2. He had to kill the Lernean Hydra, which was a snake-like monster that had nine heads and every time you cut off one head, two would grow back. He had his nephew Iolaus burn the stump after he cut off a head, ensuring that two heads would not grow.
3. He had to capture the Cerynian Hind (deer), which had golden horns and bronze hooves and could outrun an arrow. It belonged to Artemis. He eventually captured the deer and upon meeting Artemis, he begged her forgiveness and promised to return the deer.
4. He had to capture the Erymanthian Boar, which came down the mountain everyday and killed people and destroyed everything in its path. He chased the boar around the mountain and captured it with a net.
5. He had to clean the Augean stables within a day, which housed a thousand cows and had not been cleaned in thirty years. He diverted two rivers to flow through the stables, cleaning them.
6. He had to kill The Stymphalian Birds, which had claws and beaks of brass and metallic feathers which they shot at people. He was given a set of bronze clappers by Athena which he used to scare the birds from their nests and shot them with his poisoned arrows (poison from the Hydra blood).
7. He had to capture the Cretan Bull, which was kept by King Minos. He lassoed it and rode it back to Eurystheus.
8. He had to steal the Mares of Dimomedes, which were man-eating horses. He defeats and feeds Diomedes to his own mares which calms them down long enough for Hercules to bind their mouths and safely return with them to Eurystheus.
9. He has to obtain the Girdle (belt) of the Amazom Queen Hippolyte, which was a gift given her by Ares. Upon hearing Hercules's reasons for the request, she agrees, but Hera (who has a grudge against Hercules) sabotages this by telling the Amazons that the strangers were there to kill their queen. This causes a fight during which Hercules kills Hippolyte and obtains her belt.
10. He has to capture the Cattle of Geyron, a winged Titan monster with three heads three bodies and six arms but only one pair of legs. The cattle was guarded by a giant called Eurythion and a two-headed dog called Orthus (brother of Cerberus, guardian of the gate to the Underworld). Hercules killed them and shot Geyron with his poisoned arrows, escaping with the cattle.
11. He had to steal the Golden Apples of the Hesperides, which were protected by the Hesperides and Ladon, a hundred-eyed dragon which always had some eyes open. Hercules struck a deal with Atlas (the giant who held up the sky). He would hold up the sky until Atlas returned with the golden apples. Atlas agreed, but upon returning said he would take the apples back to Eurytheus himself and Hercules could hold up the sky. Hercules agreed, but asked Atlas if he could hold up the sky while so he got something soft to put upon his shoulders. Atlas sympathised and agreed but as soon as his took back the sky Hercules snatched up the apples and left.
12. He had to capture Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld, without weapons. He wrested with the dog and dragged it out of the Underworld and all the way back to Eurystheus' palace.