(ii) The fight against the Lernean Hydra. This monster, which had nine heads, of which the middle one was immortal, dwelt in a swamp, and ravaged the country of Lerna, near Argos. When Hercules struck its heads with his club, for each head he struck off two more appeared. With the assistance of his servant he then burned off its heads, and buried the immortal one under a huge rock. Having done this, he poisoned his arrows with the bile of the monster, thus rendering the wounds inflicted by them incurable.
(iii) Capture of the Arcadian stag. This animal had golden antlers and brazen feet, and Hercules was ordered to bring it alive to Eurystheus. After pursuing it in vain for a whole year, he at length wounded it with an arrow, caught it, and bore it away on his shoulders.
(iv) Capture of the Erymanthian boar. Hercules chased this animal through the deep snow, and at last caught it in a net and delivered it alive to Eurystheus.
(v) Cleansing of the stables of Augeas. Augeas, king of Elis, had a herd of three thousand oxen, whose stalls had not been cleansed for thirty years, and Hercules was ordered to cleanse them in one day. He did it by turning the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the stalls.
(vi) Destruction of the Stymphalian birds. These birds had brazen claws, wings and beaks, used their feathers as arrows, and ate human flesh. They dwelt on a lake near Stymphalus, in Arcadia. Minerva provided Hercules with a brazen rattle, by the noise of which he roused the birds and then killed them with his arrows.
(vii) Capture of the Cretan bull. This was a mad bull that made great havoc in the island of Crete. Hercules caught it, and brought it home on his shoulders.
(viii) Capture of the mares of Diomedes. These mares were fed with human flesh. Hercules, with a few friends, seized them and led them to Eurystheus.
(ix) Seizure of the girdle of the queen of the Amazons. The daughter of Eurystheus having expressed a desire to obtain the girdle of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons, Hercules was sent to fetch it. After an eventful journey he at length reached the country of the Amazons, and was kindly received by Hippolyte. Juno, however, excited the Amazons against him, and in the contest that ensued Hercules killed Hippolyte and carried off her girdle.
(x) Capture of the oxen of Geryon. Geryon was a monster with three bodies. His cattle were guarded by a giant and a two-headed dog. On his journey he erected two pillars (Calpe and Abyla) on the two sides of the Straits of Gibraltar, which were hence called the Pillars of Hercules. He slew the giant, the dog and Geryon himself, and reached home safely with the oxen.