In the Twelve Labors of Hercules, which labor was third in the traditional sequence?

The Ceryneian Hind was the third labor in the traditional sequence of Hercules’ Twelve Labors.

Eurystheus ordered Hercules to capture the sacred hind alive and bring it back. The animal was associated with Artemis and was famous for its golden antlers and bronze hooves. Hercules pursued it for a full year before finally catching it.

The hind is often confused with an ordinary deer, but ancient descriptions emphasize that it was a supernatural creature. Hercules also had to avoid killing it, because it belonged to Artemis. In many versions, he captured it by wounding it with a carefully aimed arrow or by seizing it after the long chase.

The labor followed the Nemean Lion and the Lernaean Hydra and came before the Erymanthian Boar. The exact details vary among ancient and later retellings, but its place as the third labor is widely used in standard lists.