Lernaean+Hydra

Lernaean Hydra

** Brief History ** The Hydra, which lived in the swamps near to the ancient city of Lerna in Argolis, was a terrifying monster which was the offspring of [|Echidna], who had the body of a woman and the lower body of a serpent, and [|Typhon], who had the body of a man and legs that were serpents. The monster would come out of the swamp and devour the people and nearby herds of cattle. The Hydra had anywhere from 5-100 heads and has either the body of a serpent or that of a dragon. One of the heads could not be harmed by any weapon, but if another was severed then two would grow back in its place. The stench of the Hydra’s breath, sometimes called poison, was enough to kill any man by itself. The Hydra was a representation of the many sources of evil and man’s inability to resist temptation though it largely represented the many challenges that men face: if a man resists one temptation, two more replace it. ** Myth of the Hydra ** Hercules was sent by Eurystheus to slay the Hydra that lived near Lake Lerna. After firing flaming arrows into the cave where it lived the Hydra came out. Hercules only had a sickle and a sword or club. After he realized he could not defeat the Hydra by cutting of its heads he called his nephew Iolaus for help. Iolaus came up with the idea to cauterize the wounds when Hercules cut the heads off so no new heads would grow. When Hera, the Hydra’s mother, saw Hercules was killing her child she sent a giant crab to distract him. As soon as he saw the crab he stepped on it and killed it. The Hydra’s immortal head was cut off with a golden sword given to Hercules by Athena. After he killed it Hercules dipped his arrows in the Hydra’s poisonous blood. For more on this story click here è [] ** Modern References ** ** Other Animals ** Hydra is a genus of freshwater animal made of a tubular body and several tentacles extruding from the top giving the creature a similar appearance to the mythical creature. They are only a few millimeters long. Biologists are particularly interested in this creature because of their regenerative abilities and that they have not been found to age or even die. “… hydras are one of the few animals that do not undergo senescence (aging), and so are biologically immortal …” biologists say. The Hydra can eject a poisonous substance from the end of its tentacles which can kill prey. [] ** Technology ** The internet is sometimes referred to as a modern day hydra. This is because every time something is fixed or removed several more return in its place.



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