Nessus (mythology)

Guido Reni, Abduction of Deianira, 1620-21, Louvre Museum.

Heracles and Nessus by Giambologna, (1599), Florence.

In Greek mythology, Nessus (Ancient Greek: Νέσσος) was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose tainted blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths. He became a ferryman on the river Euenos.

Nessus is known for his role in the story of the Tunic of Nessus. After carrying Deianira, the wife of Heracles, across the river, he attempted to steal her away. Heracles saw this from across a river and shot a Hydra-poisoned arrow into Nessus's breast. As a final act of malice, Nessus told Deianira, as he lay dying, that his blood would ensure that Heracles would be true to her forever.

Deianira foolishly believed him. Later, when her trust began to wane because of Iole, she spread the centaur's blood on a shirt and gave it to her husband. Heracles went to a gathering of heroes, where his passion got the better of him. Meanwhile, Deianira accidentally spilled a portion of the centaur's blood onto the floor. To her horror, it began to fume by the light of the rising sun.

She instantly recognized it as poison and sent her messenger to warn Heracles but it was too late. Heracles lay dying slowly and painfully as the shirt burned his skin—either in actual flames or by the heat of poison. He died a noble death on a funeral pyre of oak branches, and was taken to Mount Olympus by Zeus and welcomed amongst the gods for his heroic exploits. A similar theme appears in certain versions of the story of Medea.

External links

• Theoi Project - Nessus

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Nessus (mythology). The list of authors can be seen in the page history.