Nemean lion
The Nemean lion (Greek, Λέων της Νεμέας (Léōn tēs Neméas); Latin: Leo Nemaeus) was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived in Nemea. He was eventually killed by Heracles. It could not be killed in a usual fashion because its golden fur was impervious to attack. It could only be killed by strangling it. Its claws were sharper than mortal swords and could cut through any armor.
The lion's origin is usually considered as being the offspring of Typhon[1] (or Orthrus)[2] and Echidna; it is also said to have fallen from the moon as the offspring of Zeus and Selene, or alternatively born of the Chimera. The Nemean lion was sent to Nemea in the Peloponnesus to terrorize the city.
The First Labor of Heracles
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The first of Heracles' twelve labours, set by King Eurystheus (his cousin) was to slay the Nemean lion and bring back its golden pelt.
According to some versions of the Greek myth, the Nemean lion took hostages to its home in a cave near the city of Nemea, luring warriors from nearby towns to save the damsel in distress. After entering the cave, the warrior would see the woman (usually feigning to be injured) and rush to her side. Once he was close, the woman would transform into the lion and kill the warrior, devouring his remains and giving the bones to Hades.
Heracles wandered the area until he came upon the town of Cleonae. There he met a boy who said that if Heracles slew the Nemean lion and returned alive within 30 days, the town would sacrifice a lion to Zeus; but if he did not return within 30 days or he died, the boy would sacrifice himself to Zeus.[1] Other versions claim that he met up with a shepherd who had lost his son to the lion, saying that if he came back within 30 days, to sacrifice a ram to Zeus, if he did not return, to sacrifice it to him as a dead hero.
While searching for the lion, Heracles fletched arrows to use against it, not knowing that its golden fur was impenetrable; upon finding the lion and firing at it with his bow, he deduced the fur's protective property when the lion would not die. After some time, Heracles made the lion return to his cave. The cave had two entrances, one of which Heracles blocked; he then entered the other. In those dark and close quarters, Heracles stunned the beast with his club and strangled it. He tried to skin it with a knife, but failed. He then tried sharpening it with a stone and even tried with the stone itself. Finally, realizing that no mortal weapon could pierce the golden fur, Heracles used the lion's own claws to skin the pelt. Another version of the legend that says that Heracles tried to shoot it with arrows, and eventually shot it in the throat, killing it.
When he returned, King Eurystheus was shocked. Heracles then skinned the lion with one of its own claws and wore its invincible pelt to wear as a cloak and armor (although other versions of the myth state that he got his famous lion skin from the Cithaeron lion), but Eurystheus warned him that the tasks set for him would become increasingly difficult. He then sent Heracles off to complete his next quest, which was to destroy the Lernaean hydra.
Notes
References
- Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). ""Heracles or HERCULES""
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