� 2001-2006 by Shiloh
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okOne science I would have loved to pursue throughout school is Astronomy. I find the heavens, stars and other space phenomena fascinating. But with a wheelchair as my mode of getting around, it made it nigh onto impossible to get in to the planetarium, so sadly, it wasn't feasible for me to take any courses.
Being bitten once again by the mythology and legend bug, I went in search for something new, this time Greek. Then I remembered, from a previous search, my zodiac is a minor constellation. Eureeka! Why not see what story put the Crab in the night sky? Perfect!
Hera, Queen of the gods and jealous wife of Zeus, hated Hercules as he was a very physical reminder of her husband's constant unfaithfulness. Many times she strove to kill the beloved and famous hero, but Hercules always managed to escape the deadly traps she set for him. Finally, at wits' end to get rid of him, the goddess caused a madness to come upon Hercules. In his delusioned state his beloved wife and children appeared in the guises of his enemies. As a consequence he slew them all in a murderous rage. As punishment he was given over to the charge of his cousin, King Eurystheus, who gave him the task of 12 Labors to atone for his horrible crimes.
Hercules' second labor was to kill the Lernean Hydra, a terrible sea serpent with nine heads that would rise up and attack with poisonous venom. This was not going to be an easy task for our hero, for one of the creature's awful nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible.
Hercules set off to hunt the nine-headed menace, but he did not go alone. His trusty nephew, Iolaus, was by his side. Iolaus, who shared many adventures with Hercules, accompanied him on many of the 12 labors. The pair drove a chariot to Lerna and by the springs of Amymone, they discovered the lair of the loathsome hydra.
First, Hercules lured the coily creature from the safety of its den by shooting flaming arrows at it. Once the hydra emerged, Hercules seized it. The monster was not so easily overcome, though, for it wound one of its coils around Hercules' foot and made it impossible for the hero to escape. With his club, Hercules attacked the many heads of the hydra, but as soon as he smashed one head, two more would burst forth in its place! To make matters worse, Hera sent a giant crab to help the hydra defeat Hercules. It attacked the trapped foot of Zeus' son while he and the hydra wrestled.
Hercules knew he was in trouble now, with two foes, but eventually he defeated the crab by crushing its shell beneath his heel. Hera, for the crab's help and loyalty, tenacity and refusal to back down even in the face of death, put the crab in the sky for all to see and remember.
With one foe down and the deadliest to go, Hercules called upon Iolaus for assistance. Each time Hercules bashed one of the hydra's heads, Iolaus held a torch to the headless tendons of the neck. The flames prevented the growth of replacement heads, and finally, Hercules had the better of the beast. Once he had removed and destroyed the eight mortal heads, Hercules chopped off the ninth, immortal head. This he buried at the side of the road leading from Lerna to Elaeus, and for good measure, he covered it with a heavy rock. As for the rest of the hapless hydra, Hercules slit open the corpse and dipped his arrows in the venomous blood. Eurystheus was not impressed with Hercules' feat, however. He said that since Iolaus had helped his uncle, this labor should not count as one of the 12.
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