Eurystheuss

Eurystheus was a king of Mycenae and Tiryns, figures prominent in Greek mythology. He was the son of Sthenelus, a descendant of Heracles' brother Iphicles, and Nikippe. Eurystheus is primarily known for his role as the employer of Heracles, assigning him the famous Twelve Labors.

His reign was marked by this subservience to the demands of Hera, who had secured Eurystheus' kingship over Heracles through divine intervention. The oracle at Delphi decreed that Heracles would be subject to Eurystheus for twelve years, during which he had to perform any task set for him. These tasks, the Twelve Labors, were often perilous and seemingly impossible, designed to prove Heracles' strength and virtue, and possibly to eliminate him.

Eurystheus himself was often portrayed as a timid and cruel ruler. He feared Heracles and kept his distance, often issuing his commands through a herald. Some myths suggest he hid in a bronze jar to avoid Heracles after the completion of the labors. After Heracles' death, Eurystheus continued his conflict with the Heracleidae, the descendants of Heracles. He pursued them, and in a subsequent battle, he was killed by Iolaus, Heracles' nephew, and the Heracleidae. His body was returned to Athens, where the Athenian king Demophon initially refused him burial but eventually yielded to the pleas of the oracle.