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Deïaneira or Deïanira (in Greek, Δηϊάνειρα or Δῃάνειρα 'man-destroyer'[1]) was the third wife of Heracles, best-known for her role in the story of the Tunic of Nessus. She was the daughter of Althaea and Oeneus ('wine-man' and thus civilized), the king of Calydon, and the sister of Meleager.
One version of her tale goes that she was of such striking beauty that both Hercules and Achelous wanted to marry her and there was a contest to win her hand at marriage. Her father had already betrothed her to the fearsome river god Achelous, horned and bull-like. Deianira was not passive, however. "This Deianira drove a chariot and practiced the art of war", noted Apollodorus (Library and Epitome, book i, 8:1) But she wanted nothing to do with her suitor, who was able to take the form of a serpent or a bull. Heracles, the greatest hero of the dawning Olympian world of gods and men, had to defeat the river god to win her as his bride. Hercules won!
In another version of her tale, Deianira is instead the daughter of Dexamenus, king of Olenus. Heracles violates her and promises to come back and marry her. Whilst he's away, the centaur Eurytion appears, demanding her as his wife. Her father, being afraid, agrees. Heracles appears in the nick of time and slays the centaur, claiming his bride. [2]
The central story of Deianira, however, concerns the Tunic of Nessus. A wild centaur named Nessus attempted to kidnap Deianira as he was ferrying her across the river Euenos, but she was rescued by Heracles, who shot the centaur with a poisoned arrow. As he lay dying, Nessus lied to Deianira, telling her that a mixture of the semen that he had dropped on the ground and his heart's blood would ensure that Heracles would love her forever. Deianira believed his words and kept a little of the potion by her. Heracles fathered illegitimate children all across Greece. Then Heracles fell in love with Iole (also called Omphal). When she became uncertain if Heracles would remain true to her in his fashion, Deianira smeared some of the blood on Heracles' famous hide shirt. Heracles' servant, Lichas, brought him the shirt and he put it on. The centaur's toxic blood burned Heracles terribly, and he threw himself into a funeral pyre. In despair, Deianira committed suicide by hanging herself.
Deianera is the main character in the play Women of Trachis by Sophocles.
Deianera is also the name of a second character in Greek mythology, an amazon killed by Heracles during his ninth labour, the quest for the girdle of Hippolyta.[3]
[edit] Notes
- ^ P. Walcot, "Greek Attitudes towards Women: The Mythological Evidence" Greece and Rome, 2nd Series, 31:1:43 (April 1984); at JSTOR
- ^ Hyginus, Fabulae, 31 [1]
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, 4.16.3 [2]
[edit] References
- Brown, Virginia translation of Giovanni Boccaccio’s Famous Women, p. 48 - 49; Harvard University Press 2001; ISBN 0-674-01130-9
- Harry Thurston Peck, Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, 1898
- Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, 1955
| Preceded by Omphale |
Wives of Heracles | Succeeded by Hebe |
