IN THE swamps near a place called Lerna during Hercules' time, a hydra lived and terrorized people. The serpent with nine heads would attack with its poisonous venom. What makes it difficult to defeat the hydra was the one of its nine heads was immortal and therefore indestructible.
Hercules' second labor was to kill this. In Greek mythology, Hercules was given the 12 labors as part of a sentence after he killed his own wife and children when goddess Hera, out to make trouble for the strongman, made him lose his mind.
It was during this temporary insanity when Hercules committed the crime. Hercules' labors were to defeat the Nemean Lion, the Lernean Hydra, the Hind of Ceryneia, the Erymanthean Boar, the Augean Stables, the Stymphalian Birds, the Cretan Bull, the Horses of Diomedes, the Belt of Hippolyte, Geryon's Cattle, the Apples of the Hesperides, and Cerberus.
With his trusted nephew Iolaus, they went to the springs of Amymone where they found the lair of the hydra.
First, Hercules lured the hydra out by shooting flaming arrows into its den, and as the hydra emerged, Hercules seized it. It wound one of its coils around Hercules foot, making it impossible for him to escape. With his club, Hercules smashed the heads but he realized that the moment he smashed one, two more would burst forth. Hercules called out to Iolaus to help.
Everytime Hercules bashed a head, Iolaus would hold a torch to the writhing tendons of the neck, preventing the growth of the new heads. He did this for all the eight mortal heads before attacking the one mortal head.
He buried the mortal head by the side of the road from Lerna to Elaeus, covering this with a heavy rock, just to make sure that it remains buried. He also slit the body of the headless hydra open and dipped his arrows in its venomous blood.
In Greek mythology, Hera and Zeus were in a contest as to whose candidate would become the hero to defeat the remaining creatures that represent an old order to bring about the reign of the Twelve Olympians.
Hera's candidate was Eurytheus, Zeus' candidate was Hercules. Even as Hercules defeated the hydra, Eurytheus looked down on such feat, pointing to the fact that Hercules had Iolaus' help.
It's fascinating that stories of long ago can become personified by present day events. The strong man being the president, the hydra the drug monster, Iolaus, his allies most personified by the Philippine National Police chief, and Eurytheus? The opposition.