In the Twelve Labors of Hercules, whose man-eating mares did Hercules capture?

Diomedes’ mares were the man-eating horses Hercules captured in the Twelve Labors.

The mares belonged to Diomedes, king of the Bistones in Thrace. They were notorious for eating human flesh and were kept under control with chains. Their unusual diet made them dangerous even to experienced handlers, and bringing them back alive was the central challenge of the labor.

Hercules and his companions seized the horses and transported them toward the sea. When the Bistones attacked, Hercules fought them while his companion Abderus guarded the animals. The mares killed Abderus in the traditional account. Hercules later founded the city of Abdera in his memory.

One version says Hercules fed Diomedes to his own mares, after which they became calmer. Eurystheus dedicated the horses to Hera, but later stories say they escaped and were eventually killed by wild animals. The mares are separate from the horses of Troy and the chariot horses of other myths.