Lernaean Hydra— Greek Creature"The Many-Headed Serpent"

The Many-Headed Serpent

The Lernaean Hydra lurked in the swamps of Lerna, near Argos, guarding an entrance to the Underworld. She had the body of a massive serpent and multiple heads—some say nine, some fifty, some a hundred. One head was immortal and could never be destroyed. Her breath and blood were so venomous that even her footprints were deadly.

Child of Echidna

The Hydra was born to Typhon, the most terrible monster in existence, and Echidna, the mother of all monsters. Her siblings included Cerberus, the Chimera, the Nemean Lion, and the Sphinx—a family of nightmares. Hera raised the Hydra specifically to be a challenge for Heracles, whom she hated.

The Second Labor

King Eurystheus commanded Heracles to slay the Hydra as his second labor. Heracles drove to Lerna with his nephew Iolaus and forced the Hydra from her lair with flaming arrows. But when he struck off one head, two grew in its place. The more he fought, the stronger she became.

The Burning Solution

Iolaus solved the problem: as Heracles cut off each head, Iolaus cauterized the stump with a burning brand, preventing regrowth. Head by head, they reduced the monster. When only the immortal head remained, Heracles severed it and buried it under a massive boulder, still hissing for eternity.

The Poisoned Arrows

Heracles dipped his arrows in the Hydra's venomous blood, creating weapons that inflicted incurable wounds. This poison would eventually kill many—including, accidentally, the centaur Chiron and, ultimately, Heracles himself when his wife Deianira gave him a robe soaked in poisoned centaur blood. The Hydra's venom outlasted its life, claiming victims long after its death.