In the plain of Argolida there was an unhealthy marsh known as the Lerni.  This marsh was filled with aquatic plants, rotten leaves, leeches, mosquitoes, and ridden with disease.  People could not live  beside this marsh nor could any animals.  No one would venture near the marsh nor would anyone ever live beside it, as it would occasionally overflow destroying the surrounding crop land.  When the marsh would overflow it would fill the surrounding area with pestilence leaving it unsuitable for farming for many years.

In the marsh lived a hideous beast well known as the Hydra.  The Hydra had eight snake heads, and one head at the center of its' body which was immortal.  The Hydra would hide itself in the abyss of the marsh, wrapping its' heads around the branches of the trees of the marshland so that they may rest.  At times the fearful beast not satisfied with remaining in the marsh  would drag itself out of the marsh across the surrounding landscape.  Outside of  it the Hydra would destroy everything in its' path, and would eat unlucky animals or humans that unfortunately came in its' path!  The Hydra would grab its' victims with its' many heads and proceed to drag them to the marsh where it would drown them in the swamp.

Hercules uncle Euristhea wishing to see Hercules die so that he would not steal his kingdom, see Hercules goes to Delphi, said to Hercules, "You must kill the Hydra as one of your tasks to redeem yourself."  Hercules set out on his task to kill the Hydra and soon he arrived at the plain of Argolida.  As Hercules approached the swamp he met on the road the nephew of Iolas who he took  with him on his quest.  

Near the edge of the marsh Hercules set up camp, from there Hercules began to shoot arrows with their tips set alight into the marsh.  Iolas's nephew would light the tip of the arrows and then pass the arrows to Hercules who would proceed to shoot them into the marsh, in this manner they hoped to force the Hydra out of its' resting place.  Soon the Hydra appeared and lunged towards them in anger trying to kill them in a fit of rage!

next page