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HydraHYDRA’S LAIR. The mythmakers agreed that the Hydra (HYEdruh)lived in the swamps of Lerna (LUR-nuh), but they seemto have had trouble counting the monster’s heads. Some saidthat the Hydra had nine, while others claimed as many as tenthousand. It was the head growing in the center of this arraythat made the Hydra immortal, and getting to this one andchopping it off was a formidable challenge. For as soon as oneof the other heads was beaten down or lopped off, two moregrew in its place. To make matters worse, the Hydra’s verybreath was lethal. Even smelling its footprints was enough tobring death to an ordinary mortal. Fortunately, Heracles (HURa-kleez;Roman name: Hercules), who had been assigned to fight theHydra as one of his Labors, was no ordinary mortal.The great hero sought out the monster in its lair and broughtit out into the open with flaming arrows. Then he made sureto hold his breath while grappling with the beast. Heracleshad the strength of ten, but the fight went in the Hydra’sfavor. The monster twined its many heads around the heroand tried to trip him up. It called on an ally, a huge crabwhich also lived in the swamp. The crab bit Heracles in theheel and further impeded his attack. Heracles was on theverge of failure when he remembered his nephew.Heracles had a twin brother named Iphicles (IF-i-klees).Iphicles took part in a number of heroic exploits butgenerally remained in the shadow of his illustrious twin.Heracles employed Iphicles’ son, Iolaus (eye-oh-LAY-us), ashis charioteer. Iolaus had driven Heracles to the swampsof Lerna, and he looked on in anxiety as his uncle became25