Hercules had to clean the stables of King Augeas as one of his twelve labours in Greek mythology. The stables had been neglected for years as they housed thousands of cattle belonging to Augeas. It was a seemingly impossible task, but Hercules managed to divert the rivers Alpheus and Peneus to wash out the filth, completing the task in a single day. This became known as the "Augean stables" and has since become a popular metaphor for a herculean cleaning task.