The Ceryneian hind was a sacred deer to Artemis with golden antlers and metal hooves that could travel faster than an arrow. Hercules captured it as part of his 12 labors, but returned it to Artemis. All deer are sacred to Artemis due to their connection to the Ceryneian hind.
In Greek mythology, the Ceryneian hind was a stag sacred to Artemis, the virgin goddess of the hunt. The doe served Artemis, pulling her chariot and performing other tasks for her. Notably, the Ceryneian doe was briefly abducted by Hercules as part of his 12 labors. Several Greek vases and sculptures depict the Ceryneian doe, often with her lover Artemis, or Diana as she was called by the Romans.
The most distinguishing feature of the doe was a set of golden antlers, a rather unusual feature on a doe, as antlers are usually only present on red deer. The animal was also said to have metal hooves, made of bronze or brass. On these hooves, the Ceryneian hind could travel faster than an arrow could fly. This trait made the creature a useful servant to Artemis, as it could travel at high speeds. However, the hind’s speed proved a problem for Hercules when he attempted to capture her.
The decision to order Hercules to go after Cerineus’ doe was quite clever. The 12 Labors of Hercules were imposed by Eurystheus as part of a punishment, and since Eurystheus was a rival of Hercules, they were extremely difficult, with the object of having Hercules injured or killed. The first two tasks involved slaughtering ferocious monsters, allowing Hercules to prove himself a hero capable of equaling even the most terrible of enemies. Eurystheus hoped that by asking Hercules to go after the doe, he could invoke the wrath of Artemis, who would kill or at least severely punish Hercules as punishment for the theft.
According to the myth, Hercules chased Cerineus’ doe for a year, before the doe finally got tired, allowing the hero to capture it. In some stories, Hercules shot her hind leg to slow her down. While Hercules brought the doe back to Eurystheus, he met Artemis and Apollo and explained the situation to the gods. Artemis ended up forgiving Hercules for the theft, on the condition that the doe be returned.
In Greek mythology, all deer are sacred to Artemis due to their connection to the Ceryneian hind. Artemis also protected cypresses, which may explain why so many ancient specimens exist in Greece. The concept of a female hunter god accompanied by an animal such as a deer is actually quite ancient and certainly predates Greek culture, although the Ceryneian doe appears to be a unique twist on the traditional animal companion for the hunting goddess.
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