Hercules's Thirteenth Labor

After Pandora’s curiosity caused her to open the box all manner of horrors, pride, avarice, envy, wrath, sloth, lust, and gluttony were loosed upon the weak, vulnerable, pitiful masses known as people. The sorrows of these people were astounding. They suffered as no humans had suffered before. The earth was a vile black place full of disease, anger, hate, crime, and other nefarious creatures whose sole purpose is to inflict misery. Humans were in a desperate state.

And so Hercules was born into this world.

As time continued to past humans sufferings grew and hope proved to be of little substance, but as the plight of the humans grew, so did Hercules. Now at this time Hercules was in the land of Ionia, where he was afflicted with love for the princess Menameda by the goddess Aphrodite. Aphrodite wanted Hercules to wed Menameda because Menameda had taken an oath never to marry, and Aphrodite thought that Hercules would be able to change her mind.

Menameda had great affection for her father, King Gostheus of Ionia.

As it so happened King Gostheus and his kingdom were stricken by all the plagues from Pandora’s box, because they had not honored the god Apollo. King Gostheus was slowly decaying. In vain, the princess prayed for him and so she was in great despair and torment when Hercules came to court her. Princess Menameda had no patience nor desire for him and cast her Hercules out in her misery. The great hero was distraught but was not easily deterred.

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He again went to the Princess and she realized that Hercules was her only hope for her father. So Menameda promised to wed Hercules if she would free her father and Ionia from the plights in Pandora’s box. Hercules gladly agreed to this.

So Hercules ventured forth to capture the miseries. On his adventure he encountered Perseus, who gave him Medusa’s head as a gift. Hercules thanked Perseus and continued on his hunt. After many fruitless weeks on his quest Hercules decided to devise a trap. He hid the head of Medusa beneath his chiton and made himself as pitiful as possible. He moaned with pain, coughed and wretched, and stumbled. The miseries and evils of mankind descended eagerly upon Hercules who waited until they were close enough to strike.

Suddenly Hercules thrust forth the demonic face of Medusa and the tormentors of people were frozen. Hercules quickly gathered them up and locked them in a box. A dark veil was lifted from the kingdom of Ionia and King Grostheus regained vigor. Princess Menameda rejoiced and happily married Hercules. The end.