As a mythology expert, I am well-versed in the tales of ancient Greece, and the story of the Hydra is one of the most fascinating. The Hydra was a fearsome multi-headed serpent-like creature that inhabited the marshes of Lerna, near Argos. It was one of the Twelve Labors of Hercules, also known as Heracles, to slay this beast.

The Hydra was notorious for its ability to regenerate two heads for every one that was cut off. This made it an incredibly challenging foe. However, Hercules, being a demigod of immense strength and cunning, devised a strategy to overcome the monster's regenerative abilities.

In the battle against the Hydra, Hercules was accompanied by his nephew Iolaus. The duo's strategy was to cut off the heads of the Hydra and immediately cauterize the wounds with a red-hot iron poker. This prevented the Hydra from regrowing the severed heads. However, the central head of the Hydra was said to be immortal, and it was this head that posed the greatest threat to Hercules.

The method to defeat the immortal head varied in different accounts of the myth. In some versions, Hercules sought the counsel of the goddess Hera, who provided him with a golden sword to decapitate the immortal head. In other tales, it was the hero's own ingenuity that led him to bury the head under a heavy rock, preventing it from ever regenerating.

Despite the various interpretations, the consensus is that Hercules was the one who ultimately killed the Hydra. His victory was not only a testament to his strength but also to his resourcefulness and determination. The story of Hercules and the Hydra serves as a metaphor for overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles through perseverance and intelligence.

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The monster also had one immortal head that was in the middle. All of the heads could spit deadly acid as well. To defeat the Hydra, Hercules called on his friend Iolaus for help. As soon as Hercules cut off one head, Iolaus would seal the wound with a red hot poker so that nothing could grow to replace it.read more >>