Along with Odysseus, Hercules is one of the most famous Greek heroes. Zeus himself was considered his father, and his mother was mortal, which explained the hatred of Hera (wife of Zeus) towards him. Throughout his life, Heracles Hera was plotting against him, and Zeus, Athena and Apollo, on the contrary, helped in every possible way. It should be noted that Hercules did not accomplish feats of his own free will. Hera arranged so that he was forced to serve his relative, King Mycenae Eurystheus. Hercules did not know about this. It so happened that in a fit of insanity he dealt with his own children and, trying to make amends, turned to the priestess of Apollo to find out what he should do now. Then he was predicted that the service of Eurystheus would ensure the hero immortality, and only after that he went to Mycenae.
The first feat of Hercules: the Nemean lion
This monster was the first of those with whom Hercules had a chance to fight on the orders of Eurystheus. Leo lived in a mountain valley near the Argolid city of Nemea. He was of great growth and remarkable strength and devoured people and cattle with impunity, even during the day the shepherds did not leave their homes and tried not to let out cows and goats. On the way to Nemea, Hercules stopped at the farmer Molorch. They agreed that if the hero does not return in 30 days, Molorch will sacrifice his last ram to the Hades. If Hercules has time to return, then the sheep will be sacrificed to Zeus. It took the hero just 30 days to find the cave where the Nemean lion lived. He stoned one of the entrances to it, hid beside the other and waited for the monster to appear. At sunset, he saw a lion and shot three arrows in a row at him, but not one of them pierced the skin. The lion rushed at Hercules, but he struck him with a club made of ash, cut down in the Nemean grove, and then strangled the beast stunned by the blow.
Nemean games
So the Nemean lion was defeated. The first feat was given to the hero quite easily. He took the skin from the beast, put it on himself and went to the dwelling of Molorch, who was just about to make a sacrifice to Hades and Persephone.
Seeing Hercules, he was delighted and thanked Zeus for the fact that his son defeated the lion and delivered Nemea from the monster. It is believed that Hercules also ordered Molorch to organize the Nemean Games (similar to the Olympic Games) in honor of this event. Leaving the farmer’s house, he came to Mycenae and presented Efrispheus with evidence of his victory. The king was impressed by the enormous skin. Subsequently, he did everything possible to avoid personal contact with the hero and preferred to admire his trophies from the city walls.
Where did the Nemean lion come from?
There are two versions of the origin of the monster. According to the more familiar, the lion was born of Typhon and Echidna, the chthonic deities of the ancient Greeks. Their other children were dogs Cerberus and Orff, Chimera and Lerna Hydra. Hercules was also to meet with some of them. The second version is more exotic: the lion was supposedly created by the moon goddess Selene on the orders of Hera (again, she could not do without the wife of Zeus). The lion was born from the magic foam with which Selena filled a wooden box. After this, the rainbow goddess Irida tied the beast with her magic belt and transferred to Nemea.
Lion from Mount Kiferon
The monster from Nemea was not the first to be killed by Hercules. In his youth, the son of Zeus defeated the cannibal lion from the slopes of Kiferon, to which a separate myth is dedicated. Hercules also wore the skin of the Kiferon lion as clothing.
The episode with the killing of an animal from Mount Kiferon is not included in the list of exploits. Perhaps the Greeks once had a single myth: the Nemean lion and his Kiferon congener were one. But then the mythological plots diverged, and two different stories arose.
Hide of the Nemean Lion
As you know, the hero began to wear the skin as clothing and armor: she made him invulnerable to arrows. But once he had to part with her: the fact is that after completing 12 feats, he was sold into slavery for the accidental murder of a friend.
Omfala, the queen of Lydia (Asian state), became her mistress. She did not force Hercules to bring her trophies, but dressed her in women's clothes and ordered her to spin the wool with her slaves. According to some sources, Hercules was in love with his mistress (by the way, a demigoddess) and therefore not only allowed himself to be humiliated by female work, but also did not mind when Omfala dressed in the skin of a Nemean lion and armed with a club.
Constellation
After the Nemean lion was defeated, Zeus ascended his body to heaven and turned it into a constellation in memory of the deed of his son. The Leo constellation is best observed in March-April - it is a strongly stretched irregular hexagon. The brightest stars in it are Denebola and Regulus.
Symbolic meaning
The first feat is sometimes interpreted by scientists allegorically. So, the lion personifies human passions, aggression, which bring others much suffering. The victory over passions and vices requires endurance and ingenuity, hence the mention of 30 days of searching and the cunning plan of the hero. The Nemean lion is invulnerable to weapons, and Hercules strangles him with his bare hands. This means that you can cope with your “demons" only on your own, without outside help. And, finally, Hercules defeats the lion and appropriates his skin, that is, subjugates his passions and directs his abilities, if not in a peaceful direction, then at least to the benefit of people.