Deianira

Deianira, also Deianeira, is a figure in Greek mythology best known as the wife of Heracles (Hercules). In many traditions she is described as a Calydonian princess, the daughter of King Oeneus and Queen Althaea, though genealogical details vary among authors.

Her most famous episode concerns Nessus the centaur. While fleeing from the centaurs who attacked the couple, Heracles shot Nessus with an arrow dipped in the poison that covered his weapons. As he lay dying, Nessus deceived Deianira by claiming that his blood could act as a powerful love charm or antidote: if she ever lost Heracles’s affection, she should use it to win him back.

Some time later Deianira, fearing that Heracles might be fickle, obtained a vial of Nessus’s blood. She gave it to a trusted attendant to keep and later presented it to Heracles, hoping to rekindle his love. However, the blood was poisonous. When Heracles wore a tunic soaked with the centaur’s blood, it clung to his skin and caused him excruciating pain. The wound proved mortal, and Heracles chose to end his life by building a funeral pyre; according to some traditions, the gods granted him immortality afterward.

The fate of Deianira after these events varies by source. In some accounts she dies of grief or is later exiled; in others she remains a minor figure in the Calydonian aftermath. Her name is often invoked in discussions of the dangers of misguided love, misused gifts, and the consequences of deception. Her story has been told and retold in literature and art, contributing to the wider mythic cycle surrounding Heracles and his mortal wife.