twelve labors
Twelve difficult tasks
The twelve labors refers to a series of impossible tasks from Greek mythology that the hero Heracles (called Hercules by Romans) was forced to complete as penance.
These included slaying monsters like the Nemean lion and Lernaean hydra, capturing creatures like the Erymanthian boar, and performing feats like cleaning the Augean stables in a single day.
The phrase now describes any daunting series of challenges: Getting this project approved felt like the twelve labors.
- HeraclesGreek demigod, twelve labors
- Greek heroLegendary ancient warrior
- heroismExceptional courage under duress
- Greek mythologyAncient Greek divine narratives
- ancient GreeceClassical Mediterranean civilization
classical antiquity · wild beast · Hydra · redemption · perseverance · transformation · cunning · strength · Cerberus · golden apples · mortality · atonement · fate · divine intervention · modern adaptations · trial by fire · heroic archetype · hero's journey
twelve laborspiece of cake
Idiomatic easy task
child's play · cakewalk · walk in the park · no-brainer · breeze
twelve laborsbusywork
Meaningless assigned tasks
drudgery · daily grind · grunt work · milk run · fool's errand
twelve, labor, labors, labored, laboring, laborer, laborers, laborious, laboriously