rerouting the rivers
Alpheus and
Peneus, to clean out the Augean stables. Roman mosaic, 3rd century AD. The fifth
Labour of Heracles (
Hercules in
Latin) was to clean the Augean () stables.
Eurystheus intended this assignment both as humiliating (rather than impressive, like the previous labours) and as impossible, since the livestock were divinely healthy (
immortal) and therefore produced an enormous quantity of
dung (). Three thousand cattle lived in the stables, which had not been cleaned in over thirty years. However, Heracles succeeded by rerouting the rivers
Alpheus and
Peneus to wash out the filth. Augeas reacted angrily because he had promised Heracles one tenth of his cattle if the job was finished in one day. He refused to honour the agreement, and Heracles killed him after completing the tasks. Heracles gave Augeas's kingdom to
Phyleus, Augeas's son, who had been exiled for supporting Heracles against his father. According to the odes of the poet
Pindar, Heracles then founded the
Olympic Games: Eurystheus discounted the success of this labour because the rushing waters had done the work of cleaning the stables and because Heracles was paid. Stating that Heracles still had seven labours to do, Eurystheus then sent Heracles to defeat the
Stymphalian Birds. == Notes ==