Continuation of the story The Lernaean Hydra.
King Eurystheus muttered under his breath. When he was informed of Hercules' return to Mycenae, he began to feel frustration, disbelief, and anger all at once.
“But it is well known that the Hydra was invincible!” he muttered to himself. “How did he manage to succeed?! Is there no creature in this world that can defeat that pest?!”
After taking a moment to compose himself and set aside his anxiety, he gave a response to his guard and followed them to speak with Hercules. Once again, he would do so from the fortress's lookout.
“Here again is the great Hercules with good news of your return! So, have you managed to kill the accursed water serpent?” the king greeted the hero.
“I have completed the task as you commanded, your majesty.” responded Hercules with a serious demeanour. He had not forgotten the trap set with the giant crab and was still annoyed. He was increasingly aware that, in addition to the required challenges, he could expect foul play from someone.
The king had the third labour ready. He was beginning to assume that Hercules' skills could surpass the most ferocious creatures of this world. Nevertheless, no mortal could confront a deity of Olympus. He could never withstand the wrath of the gods.
“Bring me the golden hind of Ceryneia alive.” the king ordered him, assigning him his new task.
As soon as he heard his new mission, the hero set off towards the northwest of the peninsula, ready to capture the animal.
The Protected of Artemis
The Ceryneian Hind was a jewel of an animal. Its precious attributes gave it the status of a divine creature, as it had golden antlers and bronze hooves. It was completely harmless, yet it was the fastest animal known. It was said to even surpass the speed of an arrow.
Captivated by its beauty, more than one hunter had attempted to capture the animal. None had succeeded. However, only the most daring dared to try, since the creature was consecrated to the goddess Artemis, and therein lay the danger.
King Eurystheus knew what he was doing. If Hercules was virtuous enough to capture the animal, he would have to face Artemis. No human can succeed against the wrath of the gods, and therefore, this would be the end of the hero.
It was well known everywhere that the goddess protected her hind well. She would never allow anything to happen to her beloved creature. Thus, Hercules had to not only capture it but also survive the ferocity of Artemis.
Hercules’ Challenge
The first step for Hercules was to locate the creature. This took him several weeks, as he had to delve deep into the forests of the region. When he first saw it, he was mesmerised by its beauty for a few minutes. He simply observed it. He noted that, when calm, it behaved like any other deer. From that moment, the nightmare of capturing it began.
Initially, as might seem logical, he tried to approach it from behind, stealthily. He could not get very close. In the blink of an eye, the hind had moved away from that spot. It was time to move again to find her.
Following this pattern, days, weeks, and months passed as he stalked the creature through mountains and valleys, within those encompassing woods. Each time Hercules tried, he experimented with different methods to achieve a different result: camouflage, tree heights, the use of baits… The animal was so swift that, however little distance remained, it always managed to escape.
After a whole year dedicated to the task, Hercules understood that he could never outpace or outmanoeuvre the hind. Thus, he prepared a large net and placed it near the area where the animal slept. He went to the opposite side and tried again to catch it, but the animal bolted to the other side. Thus, with that thrust it carried, it became completely entangled in the net. Finally, when it tried to get up to flee again despite the trap it was under, Hercules was able to pounce on it and subdue it.
He had no intention of hurting it or causing it stress. It was so beautiful that he only wanted to stroke it and calm it. He waited for it to calm down and then carefully carried it on his shoulders. As he walked back to Mycenae, he whispered kind words to relax it.
It was just then, in the midst of that dense forest, when Artemis appeared from the shadows.
“How dare you!” she exclaimed as she raised her silver bow.
Apollo’s Salvation
Hercules knew this moment would come and was prepared to face it. He knelt on the ground before the goddess, making a gesture that was half reverence and half plea.
“Goddess, I beg you to have mercy on me.” he asked.
“Mercy? I do not know this word. Prepare to die!”
While Artemis was aiming her bow at Hercules preparing to shoot, Apollo, the goddess's twin brother, also appeared from behind the trees and intervened between them.
“Stop, sister!” ordered Apollo. “Do you not realise this is Hercules?”
“Even if it were our father, the Bringer of Storms, I would not hesitate to challenge one who dared take my hind.”
“I understand,” Hercules intervened with a humble voice. “I have committed sacrilege and understand that I deserve punishment. The fact is, I am under the orders of King Eurystheus by the will of the goddess Hera. He is the one who ordered me to capture the animal”
“The will of Hera?” responded Artemis, surprised.
Apollo and Artemis continued conversing in low voices. They knew well the passions of Hera and how cruel she could be towards the children of Zeus with other women. Since Hercules was already suffering the sentences of the Queen of Heaven, they decided to show mercy to him.
“You may continue on your way.” the goddess finally affirmed. “The condition I impose is that you must release the hind as soon as you have shown it at the court of Mycenae. Only then will I grant you my forgiveness.”
“You are as wise as you are beautiful.” he responded.
“Watch that tongue!” jumped in Apollo. “Move along before I regret my decision.”
The King’s Humiliation
Eurystheus was astonished, and the courtiers and guards were dumbfounded. On this occasion, the king had allowed Hercules to enter the throne room with the captured hind, so they could observe its beauty up close.
“It will be the star exhibit of my private zoo.” the king announced after a long silence.
“I have no doubt, Your Majesty. It is all yours, come closer to take it.” responded Hercules.
As the king approached, Hercules hid his hand behind the hind, within his cloak. Just before Eurystheus could grab the animal, the hero gave it a sharp pinch on the thigh, and the hind reacted suddenly with a cry and a leap at the same time. The king was frightened and stepped back. He then tried to pounce on it. The hind, however, quick as it was, dodged him and began to gallop. It easily dodged all the guards who tried to lay hands on it and fled the scene, sparking small sparks with its bronze hooves wherever it stepped.
“You have not completed the task, the hind has escaped.” the king shouted, angered by what had just happened.
“Your Majesty, I brought you the hind as you had asked! It was you who frightened it, and you could not catch it in time. You cannot hold me responsible for this.”
Hercules turned to the court with a gesture of obviousness, seeking the complicity of all the witnesses in the room. The murmuring took over the place and, under that pressure, Eurystheus was unable to vent his anger and frustration over what had happened.
Hercules, sly and victorious, had completed his third labour.
Continues with The Erymanthian Boar.
Honouring the Legend
For better or worse, today we can no longer enjoy animals with divine attributes like the Ceryneian Hind on our planet. We are not sure what is more difficult: capturing it alive or trying to represent it in an illustration without distorting its true beauty. Either way, we want to offer you this magnificent T-Shirt that pays tribute to the majestic animal that once roamed the vicinity of Ceryneia in Greece.
As we cannot provide you with a sacred piece, we do not want to sacrifice any animal for a piece of clothing. All our items are 100% cotton and made with the utmost respect for the environment. LũM always aims to respect the flora and fauna of our planet.
Thank you for your trust, and may the adventure continue!
Reading list
- Labours of Hercules. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
- Fry, S. (2018). Heroes. Penguin Books.
- Hamiltor, E. (1942). Mythology, Timeless tales of Gods and Heroes. Little, Brown and Company.
- Graves, R. (1955). The Greek Myths. Penguin Books.
