The third demand of Eurystheus was that Hercules bring to him alive the
hind Cerynitis. This was a noble animal, with horns of gold and feet of
iron. She lived on a hill in Arcadia, and was one of the five hinds
which the goddess Diana had caught on her first hunt. This one, of all
the five, was permitted to run loose again in the woods, for it was
decreed by fate that Hercules should one day hunt her.
For a whole year Hercules pursued her; came at last to the river Ladon;
and there captured the hind, not far from the city Oenon, on the
mountains of Diana. But he knew of no way of becoming master of the
animal without wounding her, so he lamed her with an arrow and then
carried her over his shoulder through Arcadia.
Here he met Diana herself with Apollo, who scolded him for wishing to
kill the animal that she had held sacred, and was about to take it from
him.
"Impiety did not move me, great goddess," said Hercules in his own
defense, "but only the direst necessity. How otherwise could I hold my
own against Eurystheus?"
And thus he softened the anger of the goddess and brought the animal to
Mycene.