The Second Labor
Slaying of the Hydra - Constellations Hydra & Cancer
The Hydra was
a monstrous, multi-headed water-serpent with poisonous breath that lived in the swamps of Lerna near Argos. Hercules was
directed to dispatch the beast.
To aid the Hydra & hinder Hercules, Hera had provided an ally, a giant
crab
Hercules
joined battle with the Hydra. He learned quickly that for each head severed off the beast two more would grow to take its
place. He had his nephew Iolaus
cauterize each stump on the neck with a firebrand to prevent further heads from appearing. The crab attacks and Hercules smashed it
with a mighty stomp of his
foot, killing it. Hera placed it in the heavens as the constellation Cancer
Hercules
defeated the Hydra and after disposing of the mortal heads, whacked off the immortal one with his sword, burying it under a rock
by the roadway. He then cut open
the monsters body and took its poison to use on his arrows. Upon returning to King Eurystheus to inform him of the successful
completion of the labor, Eurystheus refused
to count the exploit because Hercules had been aided by outside help. In commemoration, Zeus placed the Hydra in the heavens as a
constellation
Labors
three through ten were dutifully fulfilled but have no bearing on our quest
for Ptolemaic constellations. Therefore,
we’ll skip to the Eleventh Labor afterwards…