AUGEIAN STABLES, THE The famous stables of King Augeias, which Hercules was commanded to clean out, alone and in one day, as part of his Twelve Labours. He accomplished this by making a hole in the wall of the stable at one end, where the river approached it. The stream of the river Menios thus cleared the stable of all the accumulated filth. Augeias, however, was displeased with the result, and refused to pay Hercules the agreed reward of one tenth of his fabulous herd. This later led to war between the demigod and the king.