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"The King of Thieves" is the first episode of the second season of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and the 14th overall episode of the series. Written and directed by Doug Lefler, it first aired in the United States on September 4, 1995.
The beautiful Voluptua persuaded the legendary King Midas to create the Touch of Gold gambling palace. Hercules and Salmoneus visited the palace, where they discovered corruption and avarice. Hercules was even tricked into fighting soldiers as part of a show. When Midas had an ethical change of heart, Voluptua's henchman Segallus roughed him up and incarcerated him. To free the king and his daughter, Flaxen, Hercules beat a succession of adversaries in the boxing arena and defeated Segallus as well. Inspired, the townspeople revolted against Voluptua and destroyed the palace.
Hercules' good name is sullied when his mortal half-brother, Iphicles, steals his identity. As Iphicles joins forces with the evil warlord Gorgus and prepares to marry Rena, Gorgus' stepdaughter, Hercules sets out to defend his name. But Gorgus and the warrior Pallaeus capture Iolaus and throw him into the perilous catacombs. Hercules then has to descend into the labyrinth to save his friend. Fending off booby traps, flying blades and the Mandrake monster, Hercules frees Iolaus. Iphicles' ruse is then discovered by Rena and which prompts him to fight side-by-side with Hercules to regain her love. Finally Gorgus and Pallaeus are defeated.
Hercules and Iolaus were on a peaceful fishing trip when trouble interrupted them. Goth and his marauding barbarians were plundering a country tavern, so Hercules and Iolaus stepped in. They captured Goth and headed for Athens, determined to make the man stand trial. But Goth's brother, Bledar, pursued them, and Hercules' group was forced to take cover in a fortress deserted by all except Charidon and his daughter, Elora - once Goth's lover. Hercules and Iolaus valiantly fought off Bledar's attacks until Elora led them all through an underground tunnel to safety. Elora renounced Goth, who was still Hercules' prisoner.
Deric, a centaur, and his human wife, Lyla and their son, Kefor are being persecuted because she married a centaur. When Lyla is killed, Deric takes revenge on the people and kills two men in self defense. Hercules fights alongside Deric against the prejudice of the local people.
When Hercules finds Salmoneus working in a pleasure palace, he meets a woman named Lucina. Hercules helps to get her away from the life she has been living and reunites her with her estranged husband.
Echidna, the self-proclaimed "Mother of All Monsters", is out to get revenge on Hercules for killing all of her children.
When Persephone, the daughter of Demeter is abducted by Hades, Hercules travels to the Underworld to rescue her. While there, he briefly reunites with his family.
Hercules' friend Salmoneus hardly realized the trouble he was getting into when he made himself rich by selling off a magnificent treasure trove. The treasure was a gift from the goddess Hera to King Ores, and she was not pleased by Salmoneus' actions. Hercules rushed to defend Salmoneus against the lovely Nemesis, the goddess of divine retribution. Once she understood that the evil Zander was responsible, Nemesis freed Salmoneus from Zander's clutches. Hera sent the fiery monster Pyro after Hercules, but its flames killed Zander. Hercules killed the creature in the end.
While Hercules befriends Typhon, a bumbling but kind hearted giant, Iolaus is captured by Maceus, brother of Demetrius (from 'The Mother of All Monsters'), vowing revenge on Hercules.
Sisyphus escapes from the Underworld and tricks Timeron into taking his place. It is up to Hercules to restore justice by capturing Sisyphus and freeing Timeron.
When their friend, Amphion is framed for murder, Hercules and Iolaus set off to find the Sword of Veracity, which will make the real culprit admit the truth and set Amphion free.
Nemesis is made mortal and Hera sends her Enforcer to kill Hercules.
Hercules, Iolaus and some other former Argonauts find out that their former leader Jason is a scared drunk since he left Medea for another and saw his new family murdered; the rule of his kingdom Argos has passed to a regent. Having witnessed an apparently demon-lead party steal the Golden Fleece, they set out once again to bring it back on the Argo. Soon they strife and casualties fall but Hercules guesses the demon's identity, a rival for Jason's throne, when they're trapped in a volcano. Hera has enlisted Marcus the regent to have skeleton warriors destroy them ...
Iolaus is struck by lightning, which gives him the power of foresight. When he and Hercules help out Rheanna in her fight against a tyrannical ruler, Melkos, Hercules begins falling for her.
Hercules escorted a young Spartan named Damon back to the village of Propontus, where he discovered the residents were consumed with war. With help from his old friend Atalanta, Hercules organized a series of athletic contests for the warriors so they could prove who among them was strongest and fastest. Salmoneus named the event the Olympic Games. Tarkon the Elean was not keen on the idea, however. With help from Ares, his soldiers were transformed into Mesomorphs, who attacked the competitors. But the Spartan and the Elean athletes joined together to defeat Tarkon's men, allowing the Games to continue peacefully.
Iolaus was delighted to meet Aphrodite, who offered him a special golden apple. The apple would make any woman Iolaus wanted fall hopelessly in love with him. The spell worked perfectly on Thera, but there was one problem: She was already betrothed to Epius. Their union would bring peace to the cities of Syros and Delos. Aphrodite didn't want peace; she wanted to control both cities and turn their gold into shrines. Hercules managed to prevent a Syros-Delos war by thrusting the apple into the joint grasp of both royals, uniting them as soul mates for life.
In the town of Zebran, King Beraeus was about to marry Ramina when the warrior Tarlus abducted her. Hercules convinced the king to let him go after Tarlus, whom Hercules knew to be a good man. He and Iolaus rescued Ramina but she slipped away in the land of the Primords and returned to Tarlus, the man she really loved. Hercules rescued her again but lost her once more. Finally Hercules realized King Beraeus was forcing Ramina to marry him, so he switched sides and assisted Tarlus. After Hercules struck down Beraeus, Ramina married Tarlus.
When Prince Orestes is drugged so he cannot attend his coronation, Iolaus stands in his stead so that Orestes' brother, Minos will not become king.
Thanis, a friend of Hercules and Iolaus, is framed for a crime he did not commit. Hercules and Iolaus help out to prove his innocence.
Alcmene tells Hercules and Iolaus that she is to marry Jason. Hera resurrects the Blue Priest who plans to kill Hercules at the wedding. Meanwhile as Jason must give up his crown as Alcmene is not of royal descent, Hercules sends Iolaus to seek at his half-brother Ipicles, hoping Ipicles can become the new king of Corinth.
Deon discovers he has the godly power to order people to do his bidding. Hercules helps him to use his gift wisely.
Hercules' old mentor, Ceridian the centaur, was dying. His last wish was for Hercules to find another of his protégés, the bold and brash centaur Cassius, and persuade him not to wage war against the humans. But Hercules discovered the bigoted town magistrate, Gredor, was determined not to treat the centaurs with equality. He even planned to kill Cassius' girlfriend's father, Perdidis, and blame Cassius. When Hercules stopped the assassination and exposed the plot, humans and centaurs refused to resort to more violence. Gredor was driven out of town, and the village fountain was opened to the centaurs.
No one ever came out of the Cave of Echoes. But Hercules and Iolaus were determined to rescue young Melina, who had disappeared inside the cave. Parentheses, a young writer whom they had recently befriended, joined them in the rescue effort. At first eager, Parentheses became more and more frightened by the bloodcurdling roars from deep within the cave. But he overcame his fear when Hercules sent him down into the pit to save the girl. Fortunately, there was no monster - only a tree root - but the adventure was enough to fortify Parentheses, who walked off arm-in-arm with Melina.
