The Nemean Lion
Preserved but no longer current.
A terrible lion which kept the people of the valley in constant alarm. The first of the twelve Labours of Hercules was to slay it; he could make no impression on the beast with his club, so he caught it in his arms and squeezed it to death, Hercules ever after wore the skin as a mantle.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Nemean Lion” mean?
A terrible lion which kept the people of the valley in constant alarm. The first of the twelve Labours of Hercules was to slay it; he could make no impression on the beast with his club, so he caught it in his arms and squeezed it to death, Hercules ever after wore the skin as a mantle.
Is “The Nemean Lion” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.