The Lernaean Hydra

Attributes & Domains

Mythology & Stories

Origins & Birth

The Hydra was born to Typhon, the most terrifying monster in all Greek mythology, and Echidna, the half-woman half-serpent known as the "Mother of All Monsters." The Hydra's monstrous siblings included many of the most fearsome creatures in myth:

• Cerberus: The three-headed hound who guards the gates of the Underworld
• The Chimera: The fire-breathing lion-goat-serpent hybrid slain by Bellerophon
• The Sphinx: The riddling monster of Thebes
• The Nemean Lion: The invulnerable beast slain by Heracles in his First Labor
• Orthrus: The two-headed dog who guarded the cattle of Geryon

The goddess Hera, ever hostile to Heracles, raised the Hydra specifically to be his doom. She placed the creature in the swamps of Lerna, where it terrorized the surrounding countryside.

The Lair at Lake Lerna

The Hydra made its home beneath a plane tree at the springs of Amymone near Lake Lerna, a bottomless pool in the Argolid region. The ancients believed that Lake Lerna was one of the entrances to the Underworld, making the Hydra a guardian of the boundary between the living and the dead. From this fetid lair, the monster would emerge to ravage the surrounding lands, destroying crops and livestock with its venomous breath and devouring any who ventured too close.

The Second Labor of Heracles

King Eurystheus commanded Heracles to slay the Hydra as the second of his famous Twelve Labors. Accompanied by his nephew Iolaus as his charioteer, Heracles traveled to Lerna. Finding the Hydra's lair, he shot flaming arrows into the swamp to force the beast out into the open.

The Regenerating Heads

When the Hydra emerged, Heracles attacked with his club and sword, but quickly discovered the monster's terrible secret: for every head he severed, two more would grow back in its place. The Hydra's regenerative power seemed to make it truly invincible. As Heracles struggled, Hera sent a giant crab to aid the Hydra by biting at the hero's feet, but Heracles crushed it underfoot. (In some versions, Hera later placed this crab among the stars as the constellation Cancer.)

Iolaus and the Cauterization

Realizing that brute force alone would not suffice, Heracles called upon Iolaus for assistance. As Heracles severed each head, Iolaus immediately cauterized the bleeding stump with a burning torch or brand, searing the wound and preventing new heads from regenerating. One by one, the Hydra's heads fell until only the immortal head remained.

The Immortal Head Buried Under a Rock

The central head of the Hydra was immortal and could not be killed by any means. Unable to destroy it, Heracles severed it with a golden sword (given to him by Athena in some versions) and buried it beneath a massive boulder on the road from Lerna to Elaius. There the immortal head remains to this day, still alive but forever trapped, its venomous hisses muffled beneath the earth.

The Poisoned Arrows

After slaying the Hydra, Heracles dipped his arrows in the creature's venomous blood, creating weapons of unparalleled lethality. The Hydra's poison was so potent that even a scratch from these arrows would prove fatal. This would have far-reaching consequences:

• The poisoned arrows slew the centaur Nessus
• They killed the centaur Chiron, the wise teacher of heroes (accidentally)
• They were used against the Stymphalian Birds in the Sixth Labor
• Ultimately, they caused Heracles' own death through the poisoned robe

Nessus and the Poisoned Robe

Years later, the centaur Nessus attempted to abduct Heracles' wife Deianira. Heracles shot him with one of his Hydra-poisoned arrows. As he lay dying, Nessus deceived Deianira, telling her that his blood-soaked tunic would serve as a love charm to ensure Heracles' faithfulness. When Deianira later sent the robe to Heracles, fearing he had taken another lover, the Hydra's venom burned into his flesh. Unable to remove the garment without tearing away his own skin, and unable to bear the agony, Heracles built his own funeral pyre on Mount Oeta. Thus the Hydra, even in death, achieved its revenge upon its slayer.

The Disputed Labor

King Eurystheus refused to count the Hydra's death among Heracles' labors, arguing that the hero had not accomplished the task alone but had required the help of Iolaus. This is why Heracles was required to complete twelve labors instead of the original ten - the Augean Stables were similarly discounted because Heracles had demanded payment.

Symbolism & Interpretation

The Lernaean Hydra has been interpreted as a symbol of many profound concepts throughout history:

• Endless Struggle: The regenerating heads symbolize problems that multiply when attacked directly - cutting off one only creates two more. The Hydra teaches that some challenges require wisdom and strategy, not merely brute force.
• Chaos and Disorder: As a child of Typhon, the Hydra represents the forces of chaos that threaten cosmic order. Its multiplying heads embody entropy and the tendency of destruction to spread.
• The Unconscious Mind: In Jungian interpretation, the Hydra represents the shadow aspects of the psyche - repressed fears and complexes that grow stronger when confronted without proper preparation. True integration requires "cauterization" - conscious processing of each aspect.
• Nature's Resilience: The swamp-dwelling serpent may represent nature's persistent, regenerative power that resists human attempts at domination.
• Cooperation Over Individualism: Unlike most of his labors, Heracles could not defeat the Hydra alone. The myth teaches the value of teamwork and asking for help.
• Consequences of Violence: The Hydra's blood ultimately killed Heracles himself, demonstrating how violence begets violence across time.

Primary Sources