The Twelve Labours of Hercules

by Joe Corcoran

I was out hunting wild boar in Thessaly, and I came across five hinds – which are female deer. These were no ordinary hinds. Each one was as big as a bull, with golden horns and bronze hooves. I immediately decided that I would have these beautiful creatures to pull my chariot. I put aside my bow and arrows and began to stalk them. In just a short time I had managed to capture four of them, bringing them down, one by one, with my bare hands, but the fifth one escaped. The last I saw of it, it was heading towards the Ceryneian Hills and -”

  By now Hercules was impatient to be away, and he broke in rudely, “Got it. Say no more. I understand. Huge monstrous deer with deadly, sharp antlers and armoured, crushing hooves terrorising the countryside around Ceryne. Don’t worry about a thing, once I cut myself a new club you can consider it dead …” Hercules came to a stop because he could see the horrified looks on the faces of Artemis and Pittheus.

  “Oh Hercules!” exclaimed Artemis, “I sometimes wonder if there’s more wood in your club or in your head. Father Zeus does not mean for you to kill this hind. In fact, you must not harm a hair on its head. It is simply that he observed the slow progress of your chariot, on your trip to Lerna, and has decided that you need faster transportation for the challenges ahead. Remember, if you do not complete the twelve challenges within a year and a day then Alcyoneus will break free and destroy the world. So, Hercules,” finished Artemis, in a serious voice, “your third challenge is to capture the Ceryneian Hind. She will draw your chariot until your labours are complete, and then she will have her freedom of the parks of Troezen.”

  After having fully understood his new mission, Hercules left the palace and headed into the city to look for Iolaus. He found him in the marketplace, bargaining over the price of a sword.

  “Don’t bother,” Hercules said, “my next challenge is of a different nature.” And he told Iolaus about Artemis and the Ceryneian Hind.

  “Well, I’m glad I made a start on our provisions,” began the young man, “I’d better go and get the chariot back. Then we’ll need something to use to catch the deer. How about a net?”

  “No good,” said Hercules, “I’ve seen animals badly injured through struggling in a net. Snares won’t work either. We mustn’t hurt this hind in any way, it is a gift from Zeus. Rope, I think, would be best. Why don’t you get some, gather our other provisions and then catch me up. I’ll be …”

  “… on the Ceryneian road. I know,” cut in Iolaus. Hercules nodded, and then he was away.

  As before, Iolaus quickly caught up with Hercules, and together they made the long trip north towards Thessaly. Despite Iolaus’ preparation, they began to run short of food before they had even reached Ceryne. Hercules taught Iolaus how to live off the land, which berries and roots were safe to eat, as well as which animals and birds were easiest to catch. One evening Iolaus went hunting and brought back a wild boar, proud to have killed such a large and fearsome beast, but Hercules was not impressed.

  “I admire your bravery and your skill,” said Hercules, “and your wise counsel helped me defeat the Hydra, but tonight I think you have made a poor choice. We cannot eat such a large animal, and we have no means of preserving it. The meat will spoil, and Mother Earth will be angry because we took more than we needed.” What Hercules did not say was that he was also worried for his mortal friend. He had seen men killed by wild boars and didn’t want Iolaus to risk his life just to impress him. Nevertheless, they cooked the boar and Hercules ate so much that, at one point, Iolaus thought that they would finish it. In fact they had enough left over to swap for bread and milk at a village they passed the next day.

  The rest of the journey passed uneventfully, except to say that Hercules grew more restless as the days went by. Although he enjoyed being in the countryside and sleeping under the stars, he knew that the year was ticking by, and that he had only completed two of his twelve challenges. So, when they started to get close to Ceryne, Hercules was impatient to begin the hunt at once.

  “Go to the town,” Hercules said to Iolaus, “and replenish our supplies. I will go and capture the hind. Near here there is a mountain called Mount Artemisium, in honour of my sister. At the base of this mountain is a ford across the river Ladon. Wait for me there, and I will find you when I have captured the hind - probably tomorrow or the next day.”

  “But master,” replied Iolaus, “what if it is not as easy as you think?”

  “Nonsense,” said Hercules, “Artemis, when she was just a girl, caught four deer just like this one in a matter of minutes.” Then he turned and disappeared into the trees that surrounded the road. Iolaus, even though he was not convinced, did as he was told, and that night he camped by the ford in the river, just as Hercules had asked. But Hercules did not find him the next day. Or the next. Or the next. In fact, it would be a month before Iolaus would see his friend again.

  Hercules was full of confidence when he set out into the woods. Although the day was drawing to a close and the leaves of the trees blocked out much of the light, he decided that he would begin to scout around, covering as much ground as possible. Of course, in the evening gloom he soon lost his way, and found that he was going round in circles. Finally he saw sense and decided to stop for the night, making a simple camp and planning on an early start in the morning.

  Refreshed by a good night’s sleep, Hercules was up before dawn. He ate the last of his provisions for breakfast, confident that he would meet up with Iolaus that evening, and set out as the first rays of the sun were breaking through the trees. With good light, things went better. Hercules didn’t get lost this time and was able to explore a large area of the wood. But by the evening he had still not seen the hind, nor any sign of her. He decided that he couldn’t go back to Iolaus empty handed, so he made camp and went to sleep quite hungry.

  The next morning Hercules was up early once again, and today he had a new plan. Rather than wander about in the woods, where the trees blocked his view, he would find some high ground - a big hill perhaps. From there, he would be able to see the surrounding landscape, looking for places the hind might be found. He might also see a village or a cottage, where he could ask the people if they had seen the hind. He was also determined to catch something to eat. He had found some berries for breakfast, but he still felt hungry.

  All that day Hercules hunted through the wood, but on hearing his steps it seemed like all the animals of the forest ran away. He was tired and hungry by the time the sun started to move lower in the sky. He had not found a hill, or seen any people. He had certainly seen no sign of the hind. Angry and disappointed, he gave up trying to move quietly and stomped through the forest, slashing at the undergrowth with his bow. He had given up all hope of catching something to eat when, from out of a small bush right at his feet, there shot a large rabbit. Quick as a flash, Hercules loosed an arrow, thinking he might have something for dinner after all, but the rabbit ran through a thicket, and the arrow was stopped by a tangle of roots and branches. Not wanting to go to bed hungry, Hercules set off at a run after the rabbit. Branches and leaves whipped his face and legs as he ran, while roots tried to trip him, but Hercules kept going, even as the trees grew thicker, until it seemed like he was running through a solid wall of leaves. Then, suddenly, the trees stopped, and he broke through into a clearing where he came to a sudden halt … face to face with the Ceryneian Hind.

  For a moment man and beast stood staring at each other, both too shocked to react. Then the hind recovered and leapt off, knocking Hercules onto his back and disappearing almost immediately into the dense forest around the clearing. Of course, it was only a matter of moments before Hercules was on his feet again and in pursuit of the hind, but he soon realised why Father Zeus had thought this a good beast to pull his chariot. It was fast. Maybe the fastest animal in creation. Soon Hercules lost sight of the hind in the forest, and again he was at a loss what to do. At first he was frustrated at having come so close and yet still to have lost his quarry. He was angry, and was about to uproot a whole tree, when a
voice in his head said ‘what would Iolaus do now?’ That made him stop long enough to remember to control his anger. He counted to ten, something he had learnt as a boy to help to calm himself down. Then he stood very still and used his eyes and ears. What he saw with his eyes were twigs on the trees and bushes that had been broken by the hind as she ran by. And he saw leaves that had been turned over by her hooves as she passed, and even, where the ground was soft, hoof prints. With his ears he heard the call of frightened birds to the west. Having learnt all that he could from being still, Hercules set off in the direction he knew the hind must have gone. At first he went at full speed, but soon he slowed his pace so that he had time to read the signs that the hind had left. After an hour, when it was already dark, Hercules was rewarded for his care. He glimpsed the hind through the trees, grazing calmly. Slowly he prepared his rope and crept forward, placing each foot carefully so as to make no noise. Closer and closer he moved, scarcely daring to breathe, but even as he was readying his rope, the hind’s head came up with a snap, she looked around and then she was gone, racing through