The Story of Leo

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Leo Constellation

The Nemean Lion was one of Heracles' 12 trials, where he was challenged to fight, kill, and skin the lion. Unbeknownst to the hero, the lion had an impenetrable hide and could not be stabbed or shot to death. 

The Nemean Lion was not causing harm or hindrance to those near it, and was only necessary to kill to impress the immortal gods and a local King Eurystheus, however it was foretold in a prophecy that it would have soon rampaged across all of Greece, and that many god-worshipping citizens would be killed before a god could strike the beast down.

Heracles originally attempted to shoot at the lion from a distance, however this only served to anger the lion. He moves to charge at the beast instead which spooks it into a cave with two entrances. The hero blocks the main entrance and fashions a club out of a large tree branch, stunning the lion by hitting it over the head and strangling it to death in it's forced sleep. He then sharpens his club and begins at the dead beast's mouth, skinning its hide and offering it up to the gods.

Hera, Queen of the Gods, felt bad for the beast's untimely demise and fashioned a constellation to forever commemorate the Nemean Lion and, with the help of Selene and Artemis, allowed the lion's soul to ascend to the sky.

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