13. For Hercules' first labor, King Eurystheus told him to bring back the skin of an animal that had been terrorizing the people who lived in the hills of Nemea. From which animal did Hercules have to retrieve the skin and bring it to Eurystheus?
From Quiz The Labors of Hercules
Answer:
A lion
Orthus, who is the offspring of Echidna, half-woman/half-serpent, and Typhon, a fire-breathing giant covered with dragons and serpents, and Chimaera spawned the Nemean lion, which was Hercules' first labor, and the Lernean Hydra, which Hercules disposed of for his second labor.
King Eurystheus sent Hercules forth to slay the invincible terror that was plaguing the countryside of Nemea, and told Hercules that he wanted the skin of the Nemean lion. During his travels to Nemea, Hercules entered the town of Cleonae, and came upon Molorchus, a workman that hired himself to anyone who could pay him. He would perform tasks for them that they ordinarily could not do for themselves. As Hercules and Molorchus talked, the workman offered to sacrifice a small animal so that Hercules would have a successful hunt for the elusive predator. Hercules asked Molorchus to hold off on the sacrifice for thirty days, and when he was successful they would sacrifice the small animal in honor of Zeus, and Molorchus agreed.
Hercules soon left the workman's lodgings and traveled to Nemea, where he searched and found the vicious lion, and discovered that his arrows posed no threat to the lion. After he herded the lion into its cave dwelling and discovered two entrances, Hercules blocked one entrance with a large rock that he rolled down from a nearby cliff. Now the lion only had one entrance, Hercules entered the cave and cornered the mighty beast. Rather than use his club, which he knew would be of little or no help to him, he grabbed the lion by its legs and proceeded to wrestle the animal into a position for strangulation, and after what felt like hours to him, the vicious beast was no more.
Hercules picked up the lion, and draped him over his shoulders, and brought the lion back to Cleonae, where he found Molorchus. On the thirtieth day, Molorchus and Hercules sacrificed a small animal in Zeus' name. It was at Molorchus' home that Hercules skinned the lion that had been terrorizing Nemea.
He then proceed back to Mycenae, to give the skin to Eurystheus, but the King of Mycenae was now terrified of Hercules. Eurystheus thought that he would never return from killing the mighty beast, and refused to allow him to enter Mycenae.
Eurystheus was so petrified of Hercules and his strength, that he had an oversized jar made, and buried it half way in the earth. He climbed into the jar, and sent forth his orders to Hercules through a messenger, and would only emerge from the enormous jar when Hercules left each time for his labors.
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