After completing the fourth trial, Eurystheus assigned Hercules his next task. Eurystheus wanted nothing more than to humiliate Hercules by appointing him a trial that was disgusting to say the least—cleaning out the stables of King Augeas.

Because Augeas was a wealthy man, it is said the King Augeas was a son of a great god, or even a son of a mortal, but it is unknown for certain. According to perseus.tfts.edu, King Augeas owned more cattle than anyone in Greece and, therefore, the amount of manure deposited by the animals was so tremendous that a constant stink covered the city of Olympia.

According to infoplease.com, the stables hadn’t been cleaned in over 30 years and to make matters worse, Eurystheus demanded that Hercules completed this trial in just a single day.

Very pleased with himself for coming up with this trial, Eurystheus was certain that there was no way Hercules would be able to get the stables cleaned out in just one day, but while the trial would be a challenge, Hercules had a plan to get the job done.

Without informing King Augeas about the trial, Hercules simply offered his aid in cleaning out the stables in one day in exchange for a tenth of Augeas’ cattle. Taken back by the offer, King Augeas agreed and Hercules began on his fifth labor.

Breaking a big hole in the wall of the stables where the cattle were kept and another on the opposite side, Hercules dug out two trenches connected to nearby rivers allowing water to rush through the stables. By doing so, the water flushed out the stables and down to the other end of the yard, cleaning out the stables.

According to perseus.tufts.edu, when Hercules was finished, he went to King Augeas to reap his reward, but Augeas wouldn’t pay him his reward having learned that Eurystheus was behind it all.

Upon returning to Mycenae to inform Eurystheus his completion of the trial, Hercules was denied by Eurystheus, saying Hercules had arranged to be paid for the work and the task wouldn’t count.

No constellation was assigned to this trial of Hercules.