The Nemean Lion was a vicious monstrous lion, born to Orthos and Khimaira (Chimera). It lived around Nemea and terrorized the nearby villages, often killing the cattle and sheep. It lived inside a cave with two entrances. One swipe from its paws was able to kill a man. On top of this, its skin, which appeared normal, acted as an armor that no man-made weapon could pierce.
Legend:
The Nemean Lion was the fearsome offspring of the legendary Typhon and its mate, Echidna, and participated with both monsters in the battle against the Gods. When the Typhon was defeated by Zeus, the Nemean Lion, along with its siblings Cerberus, Chimaera, Sphinx, Hydra, Ladon, and Orthus were allowed to live to pose challenges to future heroes.
Slaying the Nemean Lion was the first task that King Eurystheus asked of the Hercules during his myth of famous labors, Hercules was tasked to kill the Nemean Lion, which no weapon could kill. Hercules shot the beast with arrows. Since they had no affect the Lion did not even notice them, aside one which fell before him. The Lion charged the demi-God after seeing the arrow, and Heracles hit his head with a club made of oak. The weapon temporarly blinded the monster yet shattered to pieces. Half blind and suffering from vertigo the Lion retreated into its cave. Heracles blocked one of the two entrances, rushed inside and suffocated the beast to death. From that point on, he wore the Nemean Lion's skin as a mantle, protecting it from harm.
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