Trachiniae

Trachiniae, or The Women of Trachis, is a tragedy by the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles. The title in Greek is Trakhíniai. The play is generally dated to the late 5th or early 4th century BCE, often placed in the 420s BCE. It is notable for centering on the domestic consequences of a heroic life, a contrast to the public exploits that dominate other stories about Heracles. The action focuses on Deianira, wife of Heracles, and the derailment of their marriage through suspicion, deceit, and tragedy.

The plot follows Deianira’s fear that Heracles will seek another wife, and the appearance of Nessus the centaur, who claims to know a remedy that will guarantee Heracles’s fidelity. Deianira, deceived by Nessus’s tale, accepts a garment stained with his blood and gives it to Heracles as a love charm. The poison in the shirt wounds him, and he suffers profoundly. A messenger, and later Lichas, report the catastrophe; Heracles dies as the consequences of the gift unfold. Deianira, realizing her role in the carnage, kills herself. The chorus of the Trachinians reflects on human frailty, fate, and the ruin of private life.

Scholars highlight the play’s psychological complexity, its exploration of gender and power within marriage, and its compact dramatic structure. Trachiniae is regarded as a major example of Sophoclean tragedy and an important work for studying early Greek conceptions of heroism, suffering, and domestic tragedy.