The Labors of Heracles

Episode 3: The Ceryneian Hind

Having killed the Hydra, the next item on Heracles’s list was the capture of the Ceryneian Hind. A sneaky Labor, this one, as the beast was so fast it took Heracles a year to even get within range.

With her golden horns and bronze hooves, this beautiful deer had to be taken alive. Chasing her through Cerynaea, through Greece and into foreign lands, he finally gave up attempting to catch her and decided on the direct approach.

Using one of his Hydra-enhanced arrowheads, he exercised all his marksmanship skills, loosing an arrow that pinioned her front legs together. Her legs went numb, but without harming bone or sinew. The legs then made a fine carrying strap as he traveled back to Mycenae to present the deer to Eurystheus.

Artemis, who’d been waiting to receive the Golden Hind, came to meet our Hero halfway, and was not pleased at the manner of her capture until Heracles explained that not a drop of blood had been spilt. “You’ll have no trouble kissing her better, and then she’ll love you and not run off again,” he said. So Artemis forgave him.

Next Episode: The Erymanthian Boar...