The Labors of Heracles

Episode 4: The Erymanthian Boar

After the Ceryneian Hind was captured, it was another ‘Bring Back The Bacon Alive’ quest. So Heracles our Hero trudged up Mount Erymanthus tracking the beast, but got sidetracked when he wandered into Centaur territory.

Now Heracles was best friends with old Chiron, the wisest of the Centaurs, and was delighted when a Centaur named Pholus invited him to share a sacred barrel of wine donated by Dionysus. This was only supposed to be opened on special occasions, but, thought Pholus, what the hell.

Even the great Chiron turned up to relive old times. But things got out of hand when some uninvited Centaurs, attracted by the heady smell, attempted to gatecrash using trees and boulders.

Heracles felt justified in putting in some target practice, and the centaurs not transfixed with arrows deemed it wiser to gallop off into wider and safer pastures. Sadly his old tutor Chiron was wounded by one of the Hydra-poisoned arrows and fled in awful anguish...

After that, capturing the boar in a net was a cinch. When Heracles plunked the furious beast down in front of Eurystheus, the cowardly king ran in terror and hid in a brass jar.

Next Episode: The Augean Stables...