Iolaus of Thebes is a regular character on the television show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, played by Michael Hurst. He is the best friend of the demigod Hercules, and grew up with him in the same village. They went to Cheiron's Academy together, fought in their first war together, and have been traveling Greece to deal with monsters, warlords, gods and demons together ever since.
By the age of two, Iolaus was stealing cookies from local vendors. This was the start of his boyhood troubles where he broke the law. His past as a thief has, as shown in one episode, kept him from obtaining a job.
As a teenager, Iolaus trained at Cheiron's Academy. It was there that he became friends with Hercules and Jason of Corinth. This training coupled with 'old hunter's tricks' gave him the talents that enabled him to become a hero. The tricks involved things like slowing down his heart beat and picking locks. It became a habit for him to say "old hunters' tricks" after using one of his skills (many times he and Hercules would jinx this since they both knew he would say it).
He was very fond of festivals and women, the latter of which led him into attempting a romantic relationship with Xena; little did he know that she used him only to get to Hercules. In one HTLJ and XWP crossover, Gabrielle and Iolaus both flirted with each other and even kissed, but nothing came of the encounter.
At one point Iolaus was approached by Aphrodite, Athena, and Artemis to judge which of the three of them was the most beautiful. Artemis offered to make Iolaus the greatest warrior in the world if he chose her, Athena offered to make him the smartest man in the world, and Aphrodite offered him an apple which would make any woman fall in love with him. He chose Aphrodite but accidentally used the apple to make Thera fall in love with him just before she was to be married. Luckily, Hercules was able to put an end to the spell (HTLJ "The Apple").
Iolaus' great-grandmother Althea had a relationship with King Agoraphobius of Attica. Their union created a new line in Iolaus' family that ended with King Orestes; a cousin of Iolaus' who looked identical to him. Iolaus briefly took his cousin's place as King when his life was in danger, so that he could be crowned king of Attica and marry Niobe. During his short time in Attica, Iolaus and Niobe fell in love. They were unable to remain together but always held a special place for one another in their hearts (HTLJ "King For A Day").
