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In the first labor, king Eurystheus ordered Herakles
to kill the enormous lion of Nemea, which was killing men and animals
and terrorized the people of Nemea and Cleonae. His pelt
was so strong, that even the iron weapons could not penetrate it.
The arrows, which Herakles used at first, proved unable to kill the lion
and so Herakles took his club and followed the lion in a cave, which had
two entrances. He closed with stones the one entrance and from the other
went to find the lion. Without using his club, he twisted and broke the
lion's neck, with the supernatural strength of his arms. In Cleonae
Herakles made a new club, from a big branch of wild olive tree, a weapon
that he never separated.
To commemorate his feat, Herakles altered the Nemeian games to a
celebration in honor of Zeus. Afterwards Herakles brought the lion to
Eurystheus. From the lion's pelt, he made his famous panoply.
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