赫拉克勒斯（希腊语：赫拉克勒斯/赫拉克勒斯）一生中的大部分时间都被他的表亲——提林国王欧里修斯——所奴役，但直到赫拉克勒斯做出了难以言喻的行为，欧里修斯才在赫拉的帮助下，以表亲为代价获得了一些乐趣。

赫拉在赫拉克勒斯出生之前就一直对他很生气，并多次试图摧毁他，现在她把这位英雄逼疯了。在这个州，赫拉克勒斯想象着他看到了底比斯的暴君莱库斯，他杀死了克里恩，并计划在他的家人陪同下杀死赫拉克勒斯的家人。

以下是关于屠杀的一节，摘自1917年塞内卡悲剧的英文译本（由米勒、弗兰克·贾斯特斯翻译。勒布古典图书馆卷。马萨诸塞州剑桥，哈佛大学出版社；伦敦，威廉·海涅曼有限公司，1917年）：

" [He catches sight of his children.] [987] But look! here lurk the children of the king, my enemy, the abominable spawn of Lycus; to your detested father this hand forthwith shall send you. Let my bowstring discharge swift arrows—so it is meet that the shafts of Hercules should fly." ... " THE VOICE OF MEGARA [1014] Husband, spare me now, I beg. See, I am Megara. This is thy son, with thine own looks and bearing. See, how he stretches out his hands. THE VOICE OF HERCULES: [1017] I have caught my stepdame [Juno/Hera]. Come, pay me thy debt, and free o’ermastered Jove from a degrading yoke. But before the mother let this little monster perish." Seneca Hercules Furens

事实上，这位希腊英雄看到的人物是他自己的孩子和他深爱的妻子梅格拉。赫拉克勒斯将他们全部（或大部分）杀死，并焚烧了他兄弟伊菲勒斯的两个孩子。在一些报道中，梅格拉幸存了下来。在这本书中，当他清醒过来时，赫拉克勒斯把他的妻子梅格拉调到了伊奥洛斯。[要了解更多关于赫拉克勒斯凶残的愤怒，你应该阅读塞内卡和欧里庇得斯的赫拉克勒斯-福伦悲剧。]

以下是同一译本中关于朱诺动机的一段延伸：

" [19] But I lament ancient wrongs; one land, the baneful and savage land of Thebes, scattered thick with shameless mistresses, how oft has it made me stepdame! Yet, though Alcmena be exalted and in triumph hold my place; though her son, likewise, obtain his promised star (for whose begetting the world lost a day, and Phoebus with tardy light shone forth from the Eastern sea, bidden to keep his bright car sunk beneath Ocean's waves), not in such fashion shall my hatred have its end; my angry soul shall keep up a long-living wrath, and my raging smart, banishing peace, shall wage unending wars. [30] What wars? Whatever fearsome creature the hostile earth produces, whatever the sea or the air has borne, terrific, dreadful, noxious, savage, wild, has been broken and subdued. He rises anew and has thrives on trouble; he enjoys my wrath; to his own credit he turns my hate; imposing too cruel tasks, I have but proved his sire, but give room for glory. Where the Sun, as he brings back, and where, as he dismisses day, colours both Ethiop races with neighbouring torch, his unconquered valour is adored, and in all the world he is storied as a god. Now I have no monsters left, and 'tis less labour for Hercules to fulfil my orders than for me to order; with joy he welcomes my commands. What cruel biddings of his tyrant could harm this impetuous youth? Why, he bears as weapons what he once fought and overcame; he goes armed by lion and by hydra. [46] Nor is earth vast enough for him; behold, he has broken down the doors of infernal Jove, and brings back to the upper world the spoils7 of a conquered king. I myself saw, yes, saw him, the shadows of nether night dispersed and Dis overthrown, proudly displaying to his father a brother's spoils. Why does he not drag forth, bound and loaded down with fetters, Pluto himself, who drew a lot equal to Jove's? Why does he not lord it over conquered Erebus and lay bare the Styx? It is not enough merely to return; the law of the shades has been annulled, a way back has been opened from the lowest ghosts, and the mysteries of dread Death lie bared. But he, exultant at having burst the prison of the shades, triumphs over me, and with arrogant hand leads through the cities of Greece that dusky hound. I saw the daylight shrink at sight of Cerberus, and the sun pale with fear; upon me, too, terror came, and as I gazed upon the three necks of the conquered monster I trembled at my own command. [63] But I lament too much o'er trivial wrongs. 'Tis for heaven we must fear, lest he seize the highest realms who has overcome the lowest—he will snatch the sceptre from his father. Nor will he come to the stars by a peaceful journey as Bacchus did; he will seek a path through ruin, and will desire to rule in an empty universe. He swells with pride of tested might, and has learned by bearing them that the heavens can be conquered by his strength; he set his head beneath the sky, nor did the burden of that immeasurable mass bend his shoulders, and the firmament rested better on the neck of Hercules. Unshaken, his back upbore the stars and the sky and me down-pressing. He seeks a way to the gods above. [75] Then on, my wrath, on, and crush this plotter of big things; close with him, thyself rend him in pieces with thine own hands. Why to another entrust such hate? Let the wild beasts go their ways, let Eurystheus rest, himself weary with imposing tasks. Set free the Titans who dared to invade the majesty of Jove; unbar Sicily's mountain cave, and let the Dorian land, which trembles whenever the giant struggles, set free the buried frame of that dread monster; let Luna in the sky produce still other monstrous creatures. But he has conquered such as these. Dost then seek Alcides' match? None is there save himself; now with himself let him war. Rouse the Eumenides from the lowest abyss of Tartarus; let them be here, let their flaming locks drop fire, and let their savage hands brandish snaky whips. [89] Go now, proud one, seek the abodes of the immortals and despise man's estate. Dost think that now thou hast escaped the Styx and the cruel ghosts? Here will I show thee infernal shapes. One in deep darkness buried, far down below the place of banishment of guilty souls, will I call up—the goddess Discord, whom a huge cavern, barred by a mountain, guards; I will bring her forth, and drag out from the deepest realm of Dis whatever thou hast left; hateful Crime shall come and reckless Impiety, stained with kindred blood, Error, and Madness, armed ever against itself—this, this be the minister of my smarting wrath! [100] Begin, handmaids of Dis, make haste to brandish the burning pine; let Megaera lead on her band bristling with serpents and with baleful hand snatch a huge faggot from the blazing pyre. To work! claim vengeance for outraged Styx. Shatter his heart; let a fiercer flame scorch his spirit than rages in Aetna's furnaces. That Alcides may be driven on, robbed of all sense, by mighty fury smitten, mine must be the frenzy first—Juno, why rav'st thou not? Me, ye sisters, me first, bereft of reason, drive to madness, if I am to plan some deed worthy a stepdame's doing. Let my request be changed; may he come back and find his sons unharmed, that is my prayer, and strong of hand may he return. I have found the day when Hercules' hated valour is to be my joy. Me has he overcome; now may he overcome himself and long to die, though late returned from the world of death. Herein may it profit me that he is the son of Jove, I will stand by him and, that his shafts may fly from string unerring, I'll poise them with my hand, guide the madman's weapons, and so at last be on the side of Hercules in the fray. When he has done this crime, then let his father admit those hands to heaven! [123] Now must my war be set in motion; the sky is brightening and the shining sun steals up in saffron dawn."

赫拉克勒斯为他的罪行寻求净化

疯狂并不是大屠杀的借口，甚至连神派来的疯狂都不是，所以赫拉克勒斯不得不赔罪。首先，他去了赫利孔山上的塞斯皮乌斯国王那里（见希腊北部地图，Dd，Boeotia）进行净化，但这还不够。

赫拉克勒斯的赎罪令和行军令

为了了解他必须采取的进一步行动，赫拉克勒斯咨询了德尔斐的神谕，在那里，皮西亚女祭司告诉他为国王欧里修斯服务12年，以赎罪。在这12年期间，赫拉克勒斯必须完成国王要求他完成的10项工作。皮提亚人还将赫拉克勒斯的名字从阿尔西德斯（以他的祖父阿尔凯乌斯的名字命名）改为我们通常称之为赫拉克勒斯（希腊语）或赫拉克勒斯（拉丁语形式，今天最常用的一种形式，无论是指希腊神话还是罗马神话）。皮提亚人还告诉赫拉克勒斯搬到提林斯。赫拉克勒斯愿意做任何事情来赎罪他那凶残的愤怒，他答应了。

十二劳动导论

欧里修斯在大力士面前摆出一系列不可能完成的任务。如果完成的话，其中一些会起到有用的作用，因为它们清除了世界上危险的、掠夺性的怪物或粪便，但另一些则是具有自卑情结的国王的反复无常的异想天开：将自己与英雄进行比较必然会让欧里修斯感到自己不够称职。

由于赫拉克勒斯执行这些任务是为了赎罪，欧里修斯坚持认为没有别有用心。由于这一限制，当伊利斯的奥古斯国王[参见伯罗奔尼撒地图Bb]承诺给赫拉克勒斯一笔清理马厩的费用（劳动5）时，欧里修斯拒绝了这一壮举：赫拉克勒斯不得不再做一次来填补他的配额。奥古斯国王食言，不付钱给赫拉克勒斯，这对欧里修斯没有影响。提林国王给他的侄子安排的其他任务是工作。例如，一旦赫拉克勒斯取回了赫斯佩里德斯的苹果（第11次劳役），但欧里修斯对这些苹果没有任何用处，所以他让赫拉克勒斯再次把它们送回去。

欧里修斯躲着大力士

关于这些任务，还有一点很重要。尤里修斯不仅觉得自己不如大力士；他也很害怕。任何能够在尤里修斯国王派遣英雄执行的自杀任务中幸存下来的人都一定非常强大。据说欧里修斯藏在一个罐子里，并坚持违反皮提亚女祭司的指示，让大力士留在提林斯城外。