The Twelve Labors Of Hera And Perseus In Homer's Odyssey

The queen of the gods, Hera, hated Heracles and is his lifelong enemy. Heracles is known for being the strongest of all mortals and even stronger than many gods. Hera caused Heracles to lose his mind and kill his wife and children. Heracles asked the Oracle for his repentance. Hera was determined to make his life as difficult as possible and wanted to make him suffer. Hera told the Oracle he must serve King Eurystheus for 12 years. Heracles had to perform twelve labors, things so difficult they seemed impossible. “Heracles was the embodiment of an idea the Greeks called pathos, the experience of struggling and suffering which would lead to fame and, in Heracles' case, immortality.” (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/Herakles/labors.html ) I will now explain two of his twelve labors.
The second labor of Heracles was to slay the Lernean Hydra. The
King Polydectes sends Perseus on a quest to retrieve the head of Medusa. Perseus brags he can bring anything to the king and agrees to complete this "impossible" task. Athena and Hermes help Perseus locate the Graeae. They tell him where he can find Nymphai. Perseus receive the winged sandals of Hermes, darkness that makes him invisible from Hades and the kibisis, a bag to put Medusa’s head in. Perseus travels to Medusa’s cave and successfully beheads Medusa. Other examples are “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, “Rumpelstiltskin” and “Cinderella.”
The Greek concept of Pathos that I can apply in my life would be definitely persistence and earning my college degree. Like the myth of the twelve labors I need to understand things may get difficult at times or “impossible” but I cannot just give up. School is very demanding with the number of hours and years you have to put in. Your education is something very important and will be used throughout your life. No one can take away your education for you. Hopefully, by May I will reach my Pathos by earning my Bachelor's