King Eurystheus was not very happy when he saw Hercules walking into his palace wearing the lion skin
Hercules had completed his second labor by killing the Nemean lion so this time he decided
to give Hercules a tougher task Hercules was given the task to fight another terrible creature known
as the lernaean hydra the Hydra was a big snake a very big one and it had nine heads tasked to
the lernaean hydra the king knew that anyone who approached the monster's den in the swamp
would be killed by the snakes poisonous breath also if anyone tried to cut off any of its heads
two more would grow in its place the Hydra was indeed a fierce opponent even Hercules did not
think he could fight this monster on his own he enlisted the help of his nephew Ionis Hercules
was very clever too when they reached the swamp he could sense the poisonous air inside the den
they realized the danger and did not enter the den they lured the monster out of the
swamp instead Hercules did not waste any time and he jumped into action Hercules fought the
hydra fiercely and each time he chopped off one of its heads Iola spurned it before another set
of heads sprouted out Hercules and iolace clubbed off the monster nine heads but one
head refused to die so Hercules crushed that head and buried it deep in the ground he returned to
Eurystheus with the news of his victory but the king was not satisfied you did not fight Hydra
on your own he said and so the Labour does not count Hercules his next task was to bring the
sacred deer of Artemis which had iron feet and golden horns task three the Tsarina and hide
the Ceridian hind was not a beasts like the nemenian lion or the Hydra it was a noble creature with
iron feet and golden horns that could outrun an arrow the sacred hind belonged to Artemis goddess
of wilderness Hercules set out to hunt down and capture the golden stag of Artemis Hercules spent
almost a year wandering the forest in search of the hide finally one night while the stag was
sleeping Hercules crept up to the sleeping animal and caught it by throwing a net over the sleeping
animal at once Artemis appeared before Hercules even though Artemis was a goddess she feared the
strength of the son of Zeus she brought Apollo her twin brother along for moral support Hercules
apologized for his deeds he then explained how he needed to capture the deer for completing
the tasks given to him Artemis consulted with her brother and agreed on a compromise Hercules
was allowed to take the secret deer to Eurystheus alive but then he must let it go Hercules agreed
he returned to the city gates with the deer he knew if the deer didn't return safely Artemis
would hurt him so thinking fast Hercules agreed to give the King the deer under one condition
that the king come outside the city gates and get the deer himself the king agreed and arrived at
the city gates just as the king was about to take the hind Hercules let it go and the deer
sprinted back to Artemis Eurystheus was furious but Hercules told the king that he was not fast
enough and that's why behind escaped and that's how mighty Hercules completed his third labor