She was a horrifying monster with huge dog-like body and many serpentine heads (some say as few as seven, others claim 10,000), one of which was immortal. The Hydra, who lived in the marshes of Lerna, devoured people and animals. Hercules's second task was to kill the Lerna Hydra (water snake), daughter of Typhoeus and Echidna, and sister of Orthus and Cerberus. Thereafter, whenever Hercules approached, the cowardly Eurystheus hid in this jar and had a messenger relay his next orders to the hero. He then had a large, bronze jar forged and buried in the earth. Seeing Hercules dressed in the lion's pelt, Eurystheus was so frightened that he ordered him to leave all his future trophies outside the city's gates. ![]() Hercules blocked the one entrance, then wrestled with the lion and strangled it.He then skinned it and wrapped himself in its skin, after first offering a sacrifice to Zeus the Savior.He then returned to Mycanae with the lion thrown over his shoulder. The lion ran away and hid in a cave with two entrances. At first, Hercules tried to shoot it with his arrows, but seeing that the lion's pelt could not be pierced, he attacked it with his clubs. The lion that had been terrorizing the valley of Nemea, was one of the monstrous children of Echidna and either Orthus or Typhoeus, or had fallen to earth from Selene (Moon). In the first of the labors of Hercules, Eurystheus commanded the hero to bring him the hide of the Nemean Lion. Reluctantly, Hercules agreed to submit to the will of the hated Eurystheus, to whom Hera had given the throne that Zeus had intended for Hercules.Ĭlick here if you want to learn more about the life of Hercules.Ĭlick here to see on a map where the labors took placeĬlick on the following links to go directly to the labors of Hercules: As we will later see, the ten labors were increased to twelve, since Eurystheus at some time challenged the fact whether Hercules had truly completed two of the labors assigned to him.īy successfully completing these labors, Hercules would not only pay for his crime, but also achieve immortality and take his rightful place among the gods. When his sanity returned,he received instructions from Pythia ,the priestess of the oracle in Delphi,to go to Tiryns and perform any ten labors devised from him by king Eurystheus. Here is a little background on the story:Īt a time of his life, Hercules became insane and as a result he killed his children. ![]() ![]() The most famous feats of Hercules, are collectively known as "The Labors of Hercules".
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