When Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) becomes determined to land the Augean Stables manure concession, Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) agrees to introduce him to King Augeus' stable master Palamedes (Bruce Phillips). Upon arriving in Augeus' kingdom, they enter one of Aphrodite's temples where a group of unhappy laborers are making renovations. The temple is being rededicated to Hera by order of the king, who has gone completely mad and believes he is Zeus. Two of the workers, Stichius (Brett Stewart) and Silicles (Alex Moffat), are destroying a life-size statue of Aphrodite (Alexandra Tydings) as the angry goddess secretly looks on. Hercules and Salmoneus learn just how insane the king has become when they arrive at the Augean Stables to find Palamedes lying on the ground moaning. He explains that he was pelted with silver-painted rocks by Augeus, who believes that he is Zeus and his rocks are lightning bolts. Palamedes further reports that Augeus has let all the livestock out of the stables. Hercules sets off to round up the animals just as Palamedes' beautiful young daughter Melanippe (Rainer Grant) arrives and rushes to her father's side.
Back at the temple, tough General Machus (Laurie Dee), in charge of supervising the renovations for the king, tells an angry Augeus that the workers have left in protest over the loss of the herds. As the King rants and raves, Aphrodite appears and announces she's come to reclaim her temple. Still believing he's Zeus, the delusional Augeus greets her as his daughter and side-steps a confrontation by leaving quickly. A short while later, he and Machus come upon Hercules rushing to the aid of an old man about to be killed by the king's soldiers. Hercules humors Augeus by greeting him as if he really were his son, and maneuvers the king into rescinding his orders to kill all the workers who abandoned the temple. But when Hercules and Machus slip up by addressing him as Augeus rather than Zeus, the king commands his soldiers to attack them and a vicious battle ensues. Augeus is ultimately thrown head-first into a pile of horse manure and stalks off, angry and humiliated.
At the temple that night, the king is greeted by Hera who knocks him to his knees with a blast of wind. Suddenly Augeus is illumined by a flash of light and looks ten years younger. Dressed in flowing white robes and a jeweled crown, he raises his hand which holds a golden orb of pulsating energy. Hurling the orb into a wall of mirrors on Hera's command, Augeus gets his first taste of superhuman power. As lightning crackles, the orb shatters the mirrors and blows a large hole in the wall. Hera then tells Augeus that he can keep this godly power only if he can kill Hercules by sunset.
Hercules returns to the stables after rounding up the missing livestock and promises to talk to Augeus on behalf of the frightened townspeople. Aphrodite inadvertently learns that the people are disillusioned with her for having failed to protect them against Augeus' madness. When she talks with Palamedes directly about it, she gains new respect for the stable master, who tells her she should worry less about her temples and more about the people who worship in them. Meanwhile, both Hercules and General Machus are looking for the king. Machus is stunned when Augeus shows up and flings his glowing orb through a stone wall. The crazy king then sneaks up on Hercules and sends him flying through a wall, shouting that he intends to kill him in order to keep his godly powers. A furious battle follows, during which the stable roof collapses on Hercules and Palamedes. Hercules survives but Palamedes dies.
When Aphrodite reappears, she responds to Melanippe's pleas to restore her father's life by surrounding Palamedes' body with a golden aura, which will keep his spirit from departing for the Other Side until nightfall. Back at the temple, she coyly plays up to the king and convinces him to call off his troops before they march on the town. Hera, however, quickly intervenes. Egged on by the evil goddess, the king hurls lightning from his hand and imprisons Aphrodite in a glowing cage. Meanwhile, Hercules devises a plan to revive Palamedes and stop Augeus before he destroys the whole kingdom. He hides Palamedes' body in a huge cart which he, Salmoneus and Melanippe push into the temple and lower onto a large marble slab. When Augeus finally confronts them in the temple, Hercules makes ingenious use of a shield-sized square of copper, which he pulls from the cart, to deflect the deadly orb of lightning hurled at him by the king. The orb is directed towards Palamedes, who convulses back to life. When Augeus fires another orb, Hercules and Aphrodite, who has managed to escape her electrified cage with the unwitting assistance of Machus, deflect it back towards Augeus, who is instantly zapped by the bolt. When the dazed king recovers, he appears momentarily to be back in his right mind but to everyone's dismay, he soon announces he's Ulysses.
Starring: Kevin Sorbo (Hercules)
Guest Starring: Alexandra Tydings (Aphrodite), Rainer Grant (Melanippe), Robert Trebor (Salmoneus), Grant Bridger (Augeus), Bruce Phillips (Palamedes), Laurie Dee (Machus), Brett Stewart (Stichius), Alex Moffat (Silicles), Les Dwight (Soldier #1), Justin Fashanu (Soldier #2), Albert Belz (Minteus)
Written by John Kirk
Directed by Rodney Charters