The second labor of Herakles, where he is to slay the many-headed Lernaean monster Hydra. Herakles has difficulty managing the task, as the Hydra sprouts new heads every time he chops one off. His nephew Iolaus joins the fray to help. Everytime Herakles cuts off one head, Iolaus sears the neck with a burning branch to prevent it from growing another one. Eventually Herakles deals with the immortal head, and the Hydra is history