The Ceryneian Hind — Heracles’ Third Labour
Continuation of the story The Lernaean Hydra.
King Eurystheus muttered under his breath. When he was informed of Heracles’ 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 answered his guards and followed them to speak with Heracles. Once again, he would do so from the fortress’s lookout.
“The great Heracles returns with good news once again! 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,” replied Heracles 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 Heracles’ skills could overcome the most ferocious creatures in the 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 north-west of the peninsula, ready to capture the animal.
Under the Protection 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 boldest hunters 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 Heracles was skilled enough to capture the animal, he would have to face Artemis. No human could withstand the wrath of the gods; this, therefore, 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, Heracles not only had to capture it but also survive the ferocity of Artemis.
Heracles’ Challenge
The first step for Heracles was to locate the creature. This took him several weeks, as he had to venture 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. He had to set off in search of it again.
Following this pattern, days, weeks, and months passed as he stalked the creature through mountains, valleys and the surrounding woods. Each time Heracles tried, he experimented with different methods to achieve a different result: camouflage, hiding in trees and the use of bait… The animal was so swift that, however close he came, it always managed to escape.
After a whole year dedicated to the task, Heracles 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. Its own momentum carried it into the net, where it became completely entangled. When it tried to rise and flee again, Heracles 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, that Artemis appeared from the shadows.
“How dare you!” she exclaimed as she raised her silver bow.
Apollo’s Salvation
Heracles 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 pleaded.
“Mercy? I do not know this word. Prepare to die!”
As Artemis aimed her bow at Heracles, preparing to shoot, Apollo, the goddess’s twin brother, also appeared from behind the trees and stepped between them.
“Stop, sister!” ordered Apollo. “Do you not realise this is Heracles?”
“Even if it were our father, the Bringer of Storms, I would not hesitate to challenge one who dared take my hind.”
“I understand,” Heracles interjected humbly. “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 Zeus’s children by other women. Since Heracles was already enduring the punishments of the Queen of Heaven, they decided to show mercy to him.
“You may continue on your way,” the goddess finally declared. “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 replied.
“Watch that tongue!” Apollo interjected. “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 Heracles 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 and take it,” replied Heracles.
As the king approached, Heracles 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, striking 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.”
Heracles gestured towards the court as though the truth were self-evident, seeking the agreement of everyone who had witnessed the scene. Murmurs filled the room and, under that pressure, Eurystheus was unable to vent his anger and frustration over what had happened.
Heracles, sly and victorious, had completed his third labour.
Continues with The Erymanthian Boar.
Continue exploring
Reading list
- Labours of Heracles. 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.