The Nemean Lion - Greek Mythology

The Nemean Lion - Greek Mythology:
Greek mythology describes the Nemean Lion, a fabled beast who decimated Nemea. It was unstoppable because its fur was impervious to human weaponry. It was believed to be the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, the monsters' father and mother. Other accounts identify its parents as Zeus and Selene.

The first job King Eurystheus gave to the god Heracles during the tale of the Labours of Heracles was to slay the Nemean Lion. According to one story, the lion held ladies from Nemea in its den in order to entice warriors. The woman would transform into a lion and attack the brave warrior when he saw her. When Heracles arrived in a nearby city, he saw a small kid who informed him that a lion would be sacrificed to Zeus if the lion wasn't killed within thirty days. If not, the youngster would give his life.

Heracles found the lion and shot arrows at it in an attempt to kill it. But he soon realized that its thick fur rendered it useless. He then awaited the lion's entry to one of the two entrances to its den. He next closed off the cave's second entrance before going inside himself. There, using only his hands, he killed the lion by strangling it. The lion's skin would not cut through his knife as he attempted to remove it. After much struggle, the goddess Athena decided to assist him and instructed him to skin the animal using one of the lion's claws. Thirty days after first seeing the boy, Heracles triumphed.


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