Herculean Task

What is the Meaning of a Herculean Task?

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The Origin: Hercules and the Twelve Labors

The idiom ‘Herculean task’ is based on the Greek and Roman myth of Heracles/Hercules. By far the greatest hero and popular figure in Greek mythology, he is usually known in the West as Hercules. Originally named Alcides, he was the illegitimate son of Zeus and a mortal woman.

Hercules grew to be immensely strong and was honored by the Gods. By the time he was grown, he was already a renowned hero and had had many adventures. However, Zeus’s affair with a mortal woman had drawn the wrath of his wife, the Goddess Hera, who had been trying to torture Alcides since he was an infant. For example, she sent two serpents to kill him in his cradle. But, even as a baby, he strangled them both with his bare hands.

Eventually, though, Hera got to him. One night, she drove Alcides/Hercules to such a pitch of madness that he murdered his own wife and children. Once back to his senses, he was consumed by guilt. He committed himself to asylum and went to Thespius, who purified him of his crime.

Then, to find out what he should do, he went to the Oracle at Delphi, where Pythia, a vehicle of the God Apollo, gave predictions. It was Pythia who first called him Hercules (Heracles in the original Greek mythology).

Pythia told Hercules that he should go to Pythia and serve King Eurystheus for twelve years. After this time, he would become immortal. So, Hercules went to the king and became his subject. The king tasked him with twelve labors. Only after he accepted the deal did Hercules find out that each of the tasks appeared to be impossible to achieve.

• Kill the Nemean Lion
• Kill the Hydra of Lerna
• Capture the Erymanthian Boar
• Capture the Cerynaean Hind
• Destroy the Stymphalian Birds
• Clean the stables of Augeas
• Capture the Cretan Bull
• Capture the mares of Diomedes (they were man-eating horses)
• Steal the girdle of Queen Hippolyta of the Amazons
• Steal the Oxen of Geryon
• Bring Cerberus back from the Underworld
• Take the Golden Apples from the Garden of Hesperides, located at the end of the world

Hercules, of course, accomplished all these seemingly impossible tasks, which became known as the Twelve Labors of Hercules. He even threw in some other feats as side-jobs, called the Parerga. Unfortunately for Hercules, his troubles were not over…

Erasmus and the Renaissance Receipt

Similar to his mention of Pandora’s Box, much of the popularity of our modern idiom “Herculean task” is owed to the work of Erasmus of Rotterdam. In his 1500 work Adagia (Adages: a collection of Greek and Latin proverbs), he included “Herculei labores” (Herculean labors). When he spoke of these Herculean labors, he was relating them to his own immense effort in translating and editing famous works, such as his work on St. Jerome.

“Those labors are called Herculean which bestow great advantages to other people, but bring almost no reward to the person who performs them except a little bit of fame and a great deal of envy.”

In his Adages, Erasmus interpreted the Hydra fought by Hercules as a symbol of Envy, something he thought always plagued those who accomplished great things. In a 1524 portrait of the author by Hans Holbein, Erasmus actually rests his hands on a book labeled “Herculean Labours.” He clearly likened himself to the mythological figure!

This use by Erasmus of the myth of Hercules as a metaphor for any extremely different work (like editing and idioms site?) served as a significant bridge between the literal story and its use as an idiom.

Early Uses of the Herculean Metaphor

During the 1500s, the term “Herculean” and related metaphors began appearing in English to describe great strength. Specifically, during the religious and political shifts of the 17th century, the “cleansing of the Augean stables” became a favorite metaphor for cleaning up a corrupt church or government.

A particular instance of this is found in the work of William Harvey. Harvey was the physician to King James I and King Charles I. He famously compared his discovery of the blood’s circulation to the “cleansing of the Augean stable.” This metaphor henceforth became a favorite way to describe breaking through entrenched corruption or ignorance.

In the early 1600s, Francis Bacon (a major figure in King James’s court) often used Herculean imagery to describe the massive task of reforming human knowledge. He famously used the “Pillars of Hercules” on his book covers to symbolize the “Herculean task” of moving beyond the limits of ancient learning.

John Knox, the leader of the Scottish Reformation, used this exact term to describe the neverending labor of the reformation: 

“The year that followed was one of incessant and Herculean labor. His days were spent in preaching, his nights in writing letters… firing the lukewarm into zeal.” — Historical account of John Knox’s reform efforts (c. 1560s-1600s) 

Herculean vs. Sisyphean Task: What’s the Difference?

Feature	Herculean Task	Sisyphean Task
Source	The Twelve Labors of Hercules.	The eternal punishment of Sisyphus.
The Nature of Work	Requires extraordinary strength or effort.	Requires repetitive, pointless effort.
The Outcome	It can be finished (and usually leads to glory).	It can never be finished (leads only to frustration).
Modern Example	Launching a new company in a week.	Clearing an inbox that refills every hour.

Feature	Herculean Task	Sisyphean Task
Source	The Twelve Labors of Hercules.	The eternal punishment of Sisyphus.
The Nature of Work	Requires extraordinary strength or effort.	Requires repetitive, pointless effort.
The Outcome	It can be finished (and usually leads to glory).	It can never be finished (leads only to frustration).
Modern Example	Launching a new company in a week.	Clearing an inbox that refills every hour.

Is an Augean Task the same as a Herculean Task?

• The Myth: The Augean task was Hercules’ fifth labor. King Augeas had 3,000 oxen and hadn’t cleaned his stables in 30 years. Hercules cleaned them in one day by diverting two rivers (Alpheus and Peneus) through them.
• The Difference: While a Herculean task is just “very hard,” an Augean task specifically implies cleaning up a mess, corruption, or long-neglected clutter.

Synonyms and Related Idioms

While there are no English idioms that truly capture the “immense struggle” or the raw effort and strength meaning of a Herculean task, we can look at several related “difficulty” idioms on a continuum.

• Augean Task: Specifically refers to a Herculean effort involved in cleaning up a massive mess, long-term neglect, or institutional corruption. Best for cleaning up messes or corruption.
• Sisyphean Task: Unlike a Herculean task, which can be completed, a Sisyphean task is a repetitive, hopeless labor that can never be finished.
• A Hard Row to Hoe: An Americanism from the 19th century (famously used by Davy Crockett) referring to a long, difficult task that requires endurance rather than just raw strength.
• Like Pulling Teeth: Used when a task is not just hard, but painfully slow and met with constant resistance (usually from another person).
• A Tough Nut to Crack: a difficult or stubborn problem; something that is challenging to solve; a place, group, situation, etc. to which it is difficult to gain entry or acceptance.
• A Tall Order: A common idiom for a task or request that is difficult to fulfill because it is so demanding or unreasonable.
• An Uphill Battle: Something that requires a great deal of effort and determination.
• Up Hill All the Way: The job is a constant struggle from start to finish.

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Further Reading: More Legendary Labors

• Sisyphean Task While a Herculean task is defined by immense effort that eventually leads to success, a Sisyphean task is defined by its utter hopelessness. Learn why Sisyphus was condemned to an eternity of rolling a boulder.
• The Midas Touch Hercules’ strength was a gift used for great labors, but King Midas’s “gift” was a curse in disguise. Discover the origin of the man who turned everything—including his food—into gold.
• Achilles’ Heel Even the strongest figures in Greek mythology have a breaking point. Explore the story of Achilles, the nearly invincible hero who was brought down by a single hidden vulnerability.
• Sword of Damocles Hercules faced his dangers head-on with a club and bow, but Damocles lived in constant fear of a danger he couldn’t fight. Learn why a single hair-suspended sword is the ultimate symbol of precarious power.
• Rise From the Ashes Like the Phoenix, Hercules achieved a form of rebirth and immortality after completing his grueling labors. Trace the 17th-century receipts for this idiom of resilience.