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As a second labor Hercules was ordered by Eurystheus to kill the the Hydra of Lerna, a multi-headed water snake. The swamp of Lerna is located on the southeastern coast of Greece between Argus and Tiryns. The ancient Greeks believed that this swamp was the frontier to Hades the kingdom of the dead. Hydra was an offspring of Typhon and Echidna and sister of the Nemean Lion. The mythmakers agree that the Hydra lived in the swamps of Lerna, but they seem to have had trouble counting the monster's heads. Some said that the Hydra had eight or nine. Others counted between fifty and a hundred. And still others claimed as many as ten thousand. All agreed, however, that as soon as one head was beaten down or chopped off, two more grew in its place. Only one of the heads was immortal, but cutting it off was the challenge. To make matters worse, the Hydra's very breath was lethal. Even smelling its footprints was enough to bring death to an ordinary mortal. Fortunately, Hercules was no ordinary mortal. The great hero sought out the monster in its lair and brought it out into the open by throwing flaming arrows since the monster could not stand the head. Then he made sure to hold his breath while grappling with the beast. Hercules had the strength of ten, but the fight went in the Hydra's favor. The monster twined its many heads around the hero and tried to trip him up. It called on an ally, a huge crab which also lived in the swamp. The crab bit Hercules in the heel and further impeded his attack. Hercules was on the verge of failure when he remembered his nephew. Hercules had a twin brother named Iphicles. Iphicles took part in a number of heroic exploits but generally remained in the shadow of his illustrious twin. Hercules employed Iphicles' son, Iolaus, as his charioteer. Iolaus had driven Hercules to the swamps of Lerna, and he looked on in anxiety as his uncle became entangled in the Hydra's snaky heads. Finally, Iolaus could no longer bear to stand aside. In response to his uncle's shouts, he grabbed a burning torch and dashed to the fray. Now, as soon as Hercules cut off one of the Hydra's heads with the axe that he brought with him, Iolaus was there to sear the wounded neck with flame. This kept further heads from sprouting. In this fashion, Hercules cut off the heads one by one, with Iolaus cauterizing the wounds. Finally Hercules lopped off the immortal head and buried it deep beneath a heavy rock. Hercules then dipped some of his arrows into Hydras blood which was the strongest venom ever known. When he returned back to the palace, Eurystheus could not believe his eyes that Hercules was standing there in front of him and alive. He was so sure that the hero will perished in his task that he said to him. - But... how did you manage to kill the monster? maybe you got so afraid that you didn't go to the swamp at all. - Hydra is dead, said the hero, and by the swamp you can find Hydra's heads lying there for you to see and believe. But the king had more dangerous labors for our hero, and he was so sure that in the following ones he will loose his life.
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