Heracles and the Nemean Lion
Heracles begins his Labours by confronting the Nemean Lion, a monstrous beast whose hide cannot be pierced by ordinary weapons.
The Story
The first of Heracles' famous Labours sent him against the Nemean Lion.
The beast terrorised the region of Nemea and possessed a hide that could not be penetrated by ordinary weapons.
Heracles first attempted to attack the lion with his weapons, but they could not overcome its supernatural protection.
He therefore entered into close combat with the animal.
Using his extraordinary strength, Heracles seized the lion and strangled it.
Even after killing the beast, its invulnerable hide presented another problem.
In the familiar tradition, Heracles discovered that the lion's own claws could cut through its skin.
He removed the hide and thereafter wore it as a protective covering.
The lion skin became one of the hero's most recognisable attributes.
The first Labour therefore established an important pattern.
Heracles could not rely on strength alone.
He had to discover the particular weakness or solution required by each apparently impossible task.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The Nemean Lion became one of the defining symbols of Heracles. Its defeat establishes the hero's extraordinary physical strength and begins the sequence of the Twelve Labours.
Traditions & Variations
Ancient and later traditions vary over details of the fight and how Heracles removed the lion's skin, but the beast's extraordinary hide and Heracles' close-combat victory are central features.