Born from the union between Zeus and Alcmene, Heracles was a target for Zeus' wife Hera's jealousy, and she sent snakes to kill him while he was still in his cradle. Hera manipulated Heracles once again when he killed his wife Megara and their children. To redeem himself, he handed himself over to his cousin, the terrible Eurystheus, who imposed twelve tasks on him. These ranged from slaying the Lernaean Hydra, a gigantic seven-headed serpent, to capturing the Cerberus, the fearsome, three-headed dog that guarded the underworld.