Which many-headed monster did Hercules defeat by placing its final head under a large rock?

• A. Chimera
• B. Cerberus
• C. Hydra
• D. Cyclops

Answer: (C)

The Hydra is the multi-headed monster in this tale. In the myths, cutting off a Hydra head caused more heads to grow back, so simply chopping them off wouldn’t finish the job. Hercules defeats it by using a strategy to stop the regrowth: while he cuts the heads, his partner Iolaus uses a flame to cauterize each neck stump, preventing new heads from sprouting. After all the mortal heads are dealt with, the last, immortal head is buried under a large rock to keep it from reviving. That combination—regrowth being thwarted and the immortal head finally contained—identifies the Hydra. The other creatures—Chimera, Cerberus, Cyclops—are not described with this head-mounding, rock-burial scenario.