Coverpage....Introduction....Hera's Interview....Eurystheus's Interview....Zeus's Interview....Atlas's Interview

Zeus Recalls the Second Labor

Heracles Slaying the Hydra

Happy new month to you all, readers!  It's time for the third installment in the thrilling series about Heracles!  Last month, King Eurystheus told us all about the first labor of Heracles.  You must remember it- Heracles managed to defeat the Nemean Lion, and when he returned to Mycenae, he was wearing the lion's impenetrable hide!  This month, my goal was to hear the story of Heracles's second labor.  You all may or may not be familiar with the story of the Lernean Hydra, but if you don't know the story- fear not!  I had the honor to sit down and get details about the story from Zeus, the god of gods here on Mount Olympus!  As the father of the hero in question, I think you'll find his account of the story very exciting (if not a little opinionated)!  So please, enjoy Zeus's recollections!

MOT: Hello, Zeus!  I appreciate you speaking with me today!
Zeus: It's my pleasure!  I could talk about my son for days. 
MOT: Great.  So, to begin, how do you feel about the animosity that exists between Hera and Heracles?
Zeus: Ha, ha, ha!  I love my boy, and I love my wife.  So I can't really take sides, and I also don't really blame either one of them.  We're immortal!  It would be a very long, extremely boring existence if everything was always peachy.  A little fight every now and then is invigorating!
MOT: It doesn't bother you that Hera's actions caused Heracles to commit grievous acts that forced him into performing twelve extremely difficult labors?
Zeus: Absolutely not!  I say let them fight!  Hera's scheming gives her something to do, and Heracles's success in his punishment merely proved to the world what I've always known- that he's extraordinary!
MOT: Alright, so we've already learned about how Heracles conquered the Nemean Lion--
Zeus: No one but my boy could tackle that beastly Nemean Lion!
MOT: Right.  As I was saying, we've heard all about that victory.  So, what can you tell me about the Lernean Hydra?
Zeus: The Lernean Hydra was a horrifying creature!  It was a nine-headed serpent- another monstrous offspring of Typhon and Echidna.  It lived in the lake of Lerna, which was also an entrance to the underworld. 
MOT:  How fascinating!
Zeus: Yes, the Hydra was placed in that particular lake to guard the entrance.  Ha ha, oh yes, Hades was quite displeased the Hydra was killed.  It meant those particular gates to the underworld had to be closed.
MOT: Very interesting!  But let's get back to the story at hand.  Heracles was sent to kill the Lernean Hydra as his second task?
Zeus: Yes, he certainly was.
MOT: And when he arrived at the lake, what was his plan?
Zeus: Well, Heracles didn't go on this labor alone.  He took his nephew, Iolaus, with him.  When they reached the lake, Heracles lured the Hydra out of his lair by shooting arrows at him. 
MOT: And what did he do when the Hydra was out in the open?
Zeus: He first tried to cut its heads off with a sword.  Of course, killing the Hydra was not so simple.  Every time he cut one head off, two more grew back in its place!
MOT: So the Hydra's heads were multiplying at a quicker rate than Heracles could fight?
Zeus: Yes.  And to make matters worse, an enormous crab came out of the lake to try to help the Hydra!  That crab clasped his pincers around one of Heracles's legs and refused to let go!
MOT: It sounds like a tough fight for Heracles.  Anyone else might have retreated.
Zeus: Well sure, anyone else might have!  But this is my boy we're talking about!  He wouldn't let a crab and a serpent get him down!
MOT: So, what did he do?
Zeus: He quickly disposed of the crab with a slash of his sword.  And then he had Iolaus assist him by burning the neck of the Hydra each time he cut a head off.  Burning the stump stopped the Hydra from growing more heads in its place. 
MOT: Smart thinking!
Zeus: Yes, my boy is strong and smart! 
MOT: What happened when Heracles was finally down to the last head?
Zeus: Just as with all the other heads, he chopped it off and had Iolaus burn the stump.  But to be safe, he also buried this head under a very large and heavy rock.  He wanted to make sure it wasn't possible to reconnect it with the body of the Hydra.  And as a last quick thought, he dipped a handful of arrows into the Hydra's blood.  As you may know, the Hydra's blood was extremely poisonous.  Which means, of course, that those arrows would basically be infallible.
MOT: It sounds like a great victory for both Heracles and Iolaus!  What were the reactions of Eurystheus and Hera?
Zeus: Eurystheus didn't want to count the task as complete because Heracles had help from Iolaus.  Of course, a few stern words from me was all it took to help change his mind.  And as for Hera... let's just say she was less than happy about Heracles's victory.  However, she was proud of the effort the Hydra and the crab gave, so she decided to give them both a resting place in the sky.  They are actually up there pretty close to Leo the lion. 
MOT: How interesting!  It sounds like Hera is the champion of all those who attempt to test Heracles's strength.
Zeus: She really is.  I doubt if those two ever really get along!
MOT: Zeus, this has been a fascinating story.  Thank you for taking the time to share the details with me!
Zeus: I'm happy to do it!

And that was that.  Interviewing Zeus was a pleasure and an honor.  It's not easy to get an interview with the mightiest of gods, you know!  We're going to hear another great story about Heracles next month.  I don't want to spill the beans already about who I'll be interviewing, but it's going to be another very special person!  So don't forget to pick up next month's magazine to catch our final installment in the Heracles series!
The Hydra Constellation                        Cancer the Crab Constellation

Author's Note: This was one of my favorite stories to tell so far.  I think it has some of the most interesting elements in it- from the fact that the Lernean Hydra is said to have guarded the entrance to the underworld that was in the depths of the lake of Lerna, to the fact that Eurystheus actually tried to discount the success of the labor because Heracles had help from his nephew.  I definitely wanted the story to read as though Zeus is a very proud and boastful dad to Heracles, which is why I tried to make it so that he did more speaking than the interviewer in this story.  One important thing to note about this story is the role the crab plays in Heracles's task.  Some stories tell of the crab coming out of the lake to try and help the Hydra, while others don't even mention a crab.  But in the ones where the crab plays a role, it is mentioned that Hera is the one who sent the crab out of the water and to the aid of the hydra.  So, while I didn't have Hera play as major of a role in this particular story as compared to my others, she is still relevant to the role of the Cancer the crab.

Sources:
"Cancer (constellation)." Wikipedia 2008.  1 Nov 2008.  Web Source: Wikipedia- Cancer Constellation.
"Lernaean Hydra." Wikipedia 2008. 1 Nov 2008.  Web Source: Wikipedia- Hydra.
"The Lernean Hydra." The Perseus Project. 2008.  1 Nov 2008.  Web Source: Perseus Project- Hydra.

Image Information:
1) "Herakles un die Hydra." Antonio Pollaiuolo. Weblink:  Wikipedia.
2) "Hydra." Weblink: OU History of Science.
3) "Cancer the Crab." Weblink: The Dome of the Sky.


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