Heracles and the Ceryneian hind
After killing the Lernaean hydra, Eurystheus asked Heracles to bring him the sacred deer of the goddess Artemis that lived carefree on the mountain Kyrenia on the borders of Achaia and Arcadia. Eurystheus’ intention was νοτ to kill the deer. He just wanted to confront Heracles with Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, who did not like anyone to disturb her sacred animals.
The sacred deer stood out from the other deers because it had golden horns and ran faster than the wind. Eurystheus asked Heracles to bring him this deer.
When Heracles managed to find it, it began to run northward, and it is said that for a long time Heracles chased it all the way to the land of the Hyperboreans.
There she managed to catch it when it stopped at a spring to drink water. Another version says that the deer dived into the waters of the river Ladon where Heracles swam faster and managed to capture it.
But when he was traveling to the palace of Eurystheus, Artemis together with her brother Apollo wanted to punish him. Heracles apologized and promised that once he showed it to King Eurystheus, he would return the deer to his patron goddess.
The Ceryneian hind was given to the goddess Artemis by Taygete, his daughter Atlas and mother of Lacedaemon, first king of Sparta. It was the most beautiful in the world. He had golden horns and bronze feet. It was tireless on the Run and wouldn’t let anyone catch it. Hercules, then, had something to do with him a race. His refuge was either on Mount Kyrenia, or in Oinoi at the temple of Artemis. The hero chased it for a whole year. According to Pindar the deer ran without stopping.
They were going up they descended mountains, crossed ravines, ran in valleys and plains and they reached the land of the Hyperboreans. Then he brought it back again to Greece and again back to the Peloponnese. Her time to cross the Ladon river and take refuge in the sanctuary of the goddess Artemis, as the Athenian writer Apollodorus tells us, Heracles the prevented him from crossing the river with his arrows, casting them before him.
Others again they maintain that Hercules caught it in his sleep and others that in order to catch it he injured it while trying to quench his thirst. Finally it just caught on to him he tied its feet and took it on his shoulders, to take it to Tiryns. gifted to the goddess Artemis by Taygete, daughter of Atlas and his mother Lacedaemon, first king of Sparta.
It was the most beautiful thing in the world. He had golden horns and bronze feet. He was tireless in Running and never let up no one to catch it. Hercules, therefore, had a struggle to do with him road. His refuge was either on Mount Kyrenia, or in Oinoi at the temple of Artemis. The hero chased it for a whole year.
As Pindar says, the Ceryneian hind ran without stopping. Mountains went up and down, they crossed ravines, ran through valleys and plains and reached the country of the Hyperboreans. Then he brought it back again to Greece and again back to the Peloponnese.
Her time to cross the Ladon river and take refuge in the sanctuary of the goddess Artemis, as the Athenian writer Apollodorus tells us, Heracles the prevented him from crossing the river with his arrows, casting them before him.
Others again they maintain that Hercules caught it in his sleep and others that in order to catch it he injured it while trying to quench his thirst. Finally it just caught on to him tied the legs and took it on his shoulders, to take it to Tiryns. Again according to Apollodorus, the Hercules with the deer on his shoulders crossed Arcadia.
At some point one blinding cloud flashed and the goddess Artemis appeared before him with her brother Apollo. Just the goddess he saw the deer captured he started shouting and to threaten the hero with extreme cruelty punishment. Hercules told her that she was not his decision and that he was carrying out his orders Eurysthea.
It was his bad fate that caused him to be compelled to obey every command of his cousin. Therefore her he was responsible and the pity should be to fall to Eurystheus. Also of EO Hercules told her that she was not his decision and that he was carrying out his orders Eurysthea. It was his bad fate that caused him to be forced to he obeys his cousin’s every command.
Therefore, he was also responsible pity should fall on Eurystheus. He also told her that he had no intention of kill the deer, but only to catch and take it alive to Eurystheus. After all this the goddess was convinced and let Heracles continue his journey to the palace