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In the third labor, Herakles was assigned to bring
alive the hind of Keryneia, a beloved animal by Artemis, with golden horns
and bronze hoofs, which was living on the mount Artemision, fifty miles
distance from Mykenae.
Herakles was trying to catch the deer for one full year, without success.
Finally, he wounded her near a stream, with his arrow and caught her.
The goddess Artemis initially was angry, but Herakles explained to her,
that he had no purpose to hurt the sacred animal and he was only following
the orders of king Eurystheus. Heracles explanation appeased the goddess
and she let him carry the hind to Mykenae. |