First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

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The Story of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion from Ancient Mythology
Read about gods and mythical creatures in the myth story of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion
The short mythical story of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion is one of the famous legends about Hercules, also referred to as Heracles, that feature in the mythology of ancient civilizations. Discover the myths about the ancient gods, goddesses, demigods and heroes and the terrifying monsters and creatures they encountered on their perilous journeys and quests. The amazing story of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion really is easy reading for kids and children who are learning about the history, myths and legends of the ancients. Additional facts and information about the mythology and legends of individual gods and goddesses of these ancient civilizations can be accessed via the following links:

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Hercules
The First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

The mythical story of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion
by Gustav Schwab

The Myth of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion
The first labor that Eurystheus assigned to Hercules was to bring him the skin of the Nemean lion. This monster dwelt on the mountain of Peloponnesus, in the forest between Kleona and Nemea, and could be wounded by no weapons made of man. Some said he was the son of the giant Typhon and the snake Echidna; others that he had dropped down from the moon to the earth.
Hercules set out on his journey and came to Kleona, where a poor laborer, Molorchus, received him hospitably. He met the latter just as he was about to offer a sacrifice to Jupiter.
"Good man," said Hercules, "let the animal live thirty days longer; then, if I return, offer it to Jupiter, my deliverer, and if I do not return, offer it as a funeral sacrifice to me, the hero who has attained immortality."
So Hercules continued on his way, his quiver of arrows over his shoulder, his bow in one hand, and in the other a club made from the trunk of a wild olive tree which he had passed on Mount Helicon and pulled up by the roots. When he at last entered the Nemean wood, he looked carefully in every direction in order that he might catch sight of the monster lion before the lion should see him. It was mid-day, and nowhere could he discover any trace of the lion or any path that seemed to lead to his lair. He met no man in the field or in the forest: fear held them all shut up in their distant dwellings. The whole afternoon he wandered through the thick undergrowth, determined to test his strength just as soon as he should encounter the lion.

Nemean lion

The Nemean lion

At last, toward evening, the monster came through the forest, returning from his trap in a deep fissure of the earth.
He was saturated with blood: head, mane and breast were reeking, and his great tongue was licking his jaws. The hero, who saw him coming long before he was near, took refuge in a thicket and waited until the lion approached; then with his arrow he shot him in the side. But the shot did not pierce his flesh; instead it flew back as if it had struck stone, and fell on the mossy earth.
Then the animal raised his bloody head; looked around in every direction, and in fierce anger showed his ugly teeth. Raising his head, he exposed his heart, and immediately Hercules let fly another arrow, hoping to pierce him through the lungs. Again the arrow did not enter the flesh, but fell at the feet of the monster.
Hercules took a third arrow, while the lion, casting his eyes to the side, watched him. His whole neck swelled with anger; he roared, and his back was bent like a bow. He sprang toward his enemy; but Hercules threw the arrow and cast off the lion skin in which he was clothed with the left hand, while with the right he swung his club over the head of the beast and gave him such a blow on the neck that, all ready to spring as the lion was, he fell back, and came to a stand on trembling legs, with shaking head. Before he could take another breath, Hercules was upon him.
Throwing down his bow and quiver, that he might be entirely unencumbered, he approached the animal from behind, threw his arm around his neck and strangled him. Then for a long time he sought in vain to strip the fallen animal of his hide. It yielded to no weapon or no stone. At last the idea occurred to him of tearing it with the animal's own claws, and this method immediately succeeded.
Later he prepared for himself a coat of mail out of the lion's skin, and from the neck, a new helmet; but for the present he was content to don his own costume and weapons, and with the lion's skin over his arm took his way back to Tirynth.

The Legend of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion - The 12 Labors of Hercules
The twelve labors of Hercules, or Heracles, involved dangerous tasks relating to the Nemean lion, the Hydra, the Ceryneian Hind, the Erymanthian Boar, the Augean stables, the Stymphalian Birds, the Cretan Bull, the Mares of Diomedes, the Belt of Hippolyta, the Cattle of Geryon, the Apples of the Hesperides and Cerberus. The mythical story of each of the 12 Labors of Hercules can be discovered via the following articles:

The 12 Labors of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

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The Magical World of Myth and Legend

The Short Story and Myth of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion
The story of the 12 Labors of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion is featured in the book entitled Myths and Legends of All Nations edited by Logan Marshall published in 1914 by the John C. Winston Company, Philadelphia. The stories of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion are translated form the the German works of of Gustav Schwab. The stories of the First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion are translated form the the German works of of Gustav Schwab. Learn about the exciting adventures and dangerous quests undertaken by the mythical characters that feature in the hero myths, fables and stories about the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece and Rome that are available on this website.

First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion - Myths and Stories about heroes, monsters, gods and goddesses

First Labor of Hercules, the Nemean lion

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