“Hercules, hero of song and story, Hercules, winner of ancient glory,”
… but the Mighty Hercules, strength of ten ordinary men, had a few anger management issues and often hurled himself into a battle of wits unarmed.   

Driven mad by Hera, who tormented all of her husband Zeus’s bastards, Hercules slew his own beloved wife and children. When he recovered his sanity he wanted to pay penance and asked Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi how best to atone for his sins. The Oracle advised him to go to Tiryns in Mycenae and serve his cousin King Eurystheus for 12 years where he might perform whatever labours the king asked of him. 

Hercules loathed serving this man, his cousin, whom he knew to be favoured by Hera and one so inferior to himself. But, afraid of angering Zeus, who favoured him, he complied. Eurystheus ordered Hercules to perform ten labours but because he was such a whiny pissant he disqualified two and added two extra upping the tally, in all fairness, to 12 Herculean tasks.