Hercules awaited the Hydra courageously standing his ground as it began its' attack, neither flinching nor moving back one inch of ground!  Hercules grabbed his sword and proceeded to slash the heads of the Hydra off one by one, but every time he cut a head off two heads would appear in the one's place!  What was worse is the Hydra had a crab that it would send out to attack Hercules as well.  Hercules would attack the Hydra only to have the crab attack him at his heel.  

Hercules now needed patience and intelligence two qualities that he possessed.  With one strike of his sword Hercules killed the attacking crab biting at his heel.  Hercules then called Iolas's nephew to bring a flaming torch.  The Hydra seeing the death of the crab began to attack Hercules far more viciously.  As the Hydra attacked Hercules would slice off  a head, and Iolas's nephew would burn the wound where the head was just previous, not allowing two more heads to grow in its' place.  However, the head at the center of the Hydra was immortal so Hercules cut if off and buried it deep within the Earth covering it with sand and slabs of heavy rock.  Now finally the Hydra was far beyond the reach of man, and Hercules had fulfilled one more task on his road to redemption!

It is said that Hercules's arrows were dipped in the bile of the Hydra which was so poisonous that even a glance of an arrow from Hercules meant certain death!