Lernaean Hydra
animal · 4 works · 4 mentions · 6 anchored passages
Hydra, pest Of Lerna · Hydra-shape · Lerna's murderous hound · Lernaean hydra · gleaming serpent · many-headed water-snake · the Hydra
in the texts
Heracles
The many-headed water-serpent of Lerna, slain by Heracles, whose venom he then used to poison his arrows.
He burned to ashes Lerna’s murderous hound, the many-headed water-snake, and smeared its venom on his darts, with which he slew the shepherd of Erytheia, a monster with three bodies.
After all, what was the fine exploit your husband achieved, if he did kill a water-snake in a marsh or that monster of Nemea?
De Rerum Natura
The many-headed venomous serpent of Lerna slain by Hercules.
O what could Cretan Bull, or Hydra, pest
Of Lerna, fenced with vipers venomous?
Pyrrhus
Mythical multi-headed serpent invoked as a simile for the seemingly endless supply of Roman soldiers.
he also conversed with their best men, and had many things to tell Pyrrhus, among which was the declaration that the senate impressed him as a council of many kings, and that, as for the people, he was afraid it might prove to be a Lernaean hydra for them to fight against, since the consul already had twice as many soldiers collected as those who faced their enemies before, and there were many tim …
Trachiniae
The many-headed serpent whose venom, carried in Nessus's blood, now poisons Heracles.
you tamed the Lernaean Hydra, and that monstrous army of beasts with double form, hostile, going on hoofed feet, violent, lawless, of surpassing violence;