For what could be said with confidence and admiration was that by the time he grew into his later teens Heracles was the tallest, broadest, strongest, and fastest young man in the world. Those gods who championed him came forward now with signs of their favor, to equip him for a life of warfare, trials, and endurance. Athena presented him with a robe, Poseidon gave him fine horses, Hermes a sword, Apollo a bow and arrows, HEPHAESTUS a most wondrous breastplate of pure gold. The young man’s growing reputation was cemented by the slaying of a fierce lion on Mount Cithaeron when he was still only
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