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5月入黑後，舉頭可見光亮的獅子座位於天空，傳說獅子座代表涅墨亞獅子。
赫拉克勒斯是宙斯與凡人阿美妮所生的兒子。神后赫拉出於嫉妒，以法力令赫拉克勒斯在精神錯亂的狀態下，誤殺其妻兒。為了贖罪，赫拉克勒斯聽從太陽神阿波羅的神諭，為邁錫尼國王歐律斯透斯服役12年及完成12項艱鉅挑戰，其中首項就是獵殺危害涅墨亞居民的猛獅。他藏身樹叢中，當獅子出現時便朝牠射出一箭。怎料這獅子原來刀槍不入，赫拉克勒斯唯有與牠展開肉搏，最終以雙臂扼死獅子。但赫拉克勒斯無法用刀槍割下獅皮向國王交代，幸得雅典娜化身成老婦，提點他用獅爪剝皮。隨後赫拉克勒斯便以獅皮為甲、獅頭為盔，向國王報捷。
Heracles and the Nemean Lion
Look up at the zenith after dark in May and you can see the bright constellation Leo which is said to represent the fierce Nemean lion.
Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene. Due to jealousy, Hera made Heracles kill his wife and children under a delusion. To atone for his crime, Apollo's oracle told him to serve King Eurystheus for 12 years and perform 12 missions. The first would be to hunt down the fierce lion which preyed on the poor people of Nemea. Heracles found the lion. It turned out that its skin was impervious to weapons. Heracles had to fight the beast with his bare hands. In the end he clasped the lion under his giant arms and throttled it to death. Heracles skinned the lion and wore the skin as a cloak and its jaws as a helmet. And he reported this good news to the King. ■甄枝強 資深天文愛好者
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