Long ago, during the creation of the Underworld, three beasts were created. These beasts were the Chimera, the Hydra, and Cerberus. The Chimera was a mix of a lion, goat, and a snake. The Hydra had 9 serpent heads and the tail of a snake. It was said that the middle head was invulnerable and when one head was cut off, 2 would grow in its place. Also, arrows dipped in the blood of the hydra were extremely poisonous. Cerberus was a 3 headed dog with a snake as a tail. After the construction of the underworld was complete, it was clear that only one of the beasts could stay. Cerberus had shown great loyalty and the characteristics of a guardian and protector of property so he was left in the underworld to guard its gates.
Because of the Hydra's past treachery of consuming Hade's chariot, he was sent of to the Swamps of Lerna. The Chimera, having not done anything to harm the Underworld, was allowed to roam the earth freely. The wandering of the world had made the chimera delirious and insane. The chimera one day attacked the underworld in a reckless rampage. In response, the underworld sent Bellerophon, a deceased hero from battle, to fight the chimera. The chimera fought Bellerophon on for hours, but soon the chimera was defeated and killed. The underworld celebrated and during the celebration, Bellerophon slipped out of the underworld.on the next day, Hades noticed Bellerophon was gone. Angered, he called upon the Lernean Hydra to hunt down Bellerophon and bring him back to the underworld. Bellerophon fought valiantly but was defeated by the hydra. Hades demanded the construction of a labyrinth to prevent escape. The labrynth would be constructed like a snake because all three beasts had the snake in common. When a soul would enter, there would be a light in which to follow to the gates.
Now, with the added labyrinth, Hades sent the hydra to guard the entrance of the labyrinth. For hundreds of years, the underworld went undisturbed except for the coming of dead souls. Later, Hades had taken Deianira, Hercules wife. Hercules rushed in to rescue her. He faced the Hydra before he entered the maze. Hercules clubbed of each head and burned them. With the immortal head, he buried it in the ground and covered it with an enormous boulder. He also dipped an arrow in the Hydra's blood. It took him 3 hours of wandering in the maze to finally find the gates to the underworld. Hercules fought and fought Cerberus until Cerberus finally gave up and fell over out of exhaustion. Hercules found Hades and shot him with the poison arrow. Hades in pain released, Deianira. As they exited the underworld, Cerberus attacked them. Hercules barely managed to defeat Cerberus a second time. When Hercules went home with Deianira, Deianira found a ball of wool, secretly soaked in the blood of Nessus, and made Hercules a shirt. When Hercules wore the shirt, the blood of Nessus poisoned him and he died, but was thus granted immortality. Deianira, now lonely, ran away and was never seen again. After the attack of Hercules, the underworld seal the labyrinth and shut down forever.
