In Greek mythology, the lion slain by Heracles as his first labor was the Nemean Lion.
The Nemean Lion lived in the region of Nemea and was described as an unusually powerful beast whose hide could not be pierced by ordinary weapons. Heracles first tried to kill it with arrows, but they were ineffective. He then used a club and eventually strangled the lion after trapping it in its cave.
Heracles could not cut through the hide with normal metal. According to the myth, he used one of the lion’s own claws to skin it, then wore the hide as protective armor. The pelt became one of his most recognizable attributes in ancient art.
The Nemean Lion is often confused with the Ceryneian Hind and the Erymanthian Boar, which were the third and fourth labors in the traditional sequence. The lion was the first labor assigned by Eurystheus.