Deianeira of Greek Myth

- Yes, date unknown

• Name	Deianeira of Greek Myth
  Gender	Female
  Death	Yes, date unknown
  Notes	«b»http://www.rpi.edu/~holmes/Hobbies/Genealogy/ps32/ps32_254.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deianira Deïanira«/b» or «b»Dejanira«/b» (Latinized in «u»Greek «/u», or ; «i»Deïaneira«/i» 'man-destroyer' «u»[1]«/u» or 'destroyer of her husband' «u»[2]«/u») is a figure in «u»Greek mythology «/u», best-known for being «u»Heracles «/u»' third wife and, in the late «u»Classical «/u» story, unwittingly killing him with the «u»Shirt of Nessus «/u». «b» Marriage «/b»Deianira is the daughter of «u»Althaea «/u» and «u»Oeneus «/u» ('wine-man' and thus civilized), the king of «u»Calydon «/u», and the sister of «u»Meleager «/u». She also was said to have become the mother of «u»Macaria «/u» (who saved the Athenians from defeat by «u»Eurystheus «/u»). «b» «/b»One version of a late Classical tale relates that she was of such striking beauty that both «u»Hercules «/u» and «u»Achelous «/u» wanted to marry her and there was a contest to win her hand. 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 «u»chariot «/u» and practiced the art of war", noted «u»Apollodorus «/u» («i»Library and Epitome«/i», book i, 8:1), but she wanted nothing to do with her suitor, who was able to take the form of a speckled serpent, a bull-headed man, or a bull. Robert Graves interpreted the association with war as a relationship with the pre-Olympian war goddess, Athene, who was an orgiastic bride in many local sacred marriages to kings who may have been sacrificed. Heracles, the greatest hero of the dawning Classical Olympian world of deities and men, had to defeat the river god to win her as his bride. In another version of her tale, Deianira is instead the daughter of «u»Dexamenus «/u», king of «u»Olenus «/u». Heracles violates her and promises to come back and marry her. While he is away, the «u»centaur «/u» «u»Eurytion «/u» 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. «u»[3]«/u» «b»Death of Heracles «/b»The central story of Deianira, however, concerns the «u»Tunic of Nessus «/u». A wild centaur named «u»Nessus «/u» attempted to kidnap Deianira as he was ferrying her across the river «u»Euenos «/u», but she was rescued by Heracles, who shot the centaur with a poisoned arrow. As he lay dying, Nessus tricked Deianira, telling her that a mixture of olive oil with the semen that he had dropped on the ground and his heart's blood would ensure that Heracles would never again be unfaithful. Deianira believed his words and kept a little of the potion by her. Heracles fathered illegitimate children all across Greece and then fell in love with «u»Iole «/u» (also called Omphal). When Deianira thus feared that her husband would leave her forever, she smeared some of the blood on Heracles' famous lionskin shirt. Heracles' servant, «u»Lichas «/u», brought him the shirt and he put it on. The centaur's toxic blood burned Heracles terribly, and eventually, he threw himself into a funeral pyre. In despair, Deianira committed suicide by hanging herself or with a sword. Deianira is the main character in the play «u»«i»Women of Trachis «/u»«/i» by «u»Sophocles «/u». Deianira is also the name of a second character in Greek mythology, an «u»Amazon «/u» killed by «u»Heracles «/u» during his ninth labour, the quest for the girdle of «u»Hippolyta «/u».«u»[4]«/u» «b»References Primary sources «tab»«u»«/b»Graves, Robert «/u», «i»The Greek Myths«/i», 1955, 142.ff, 142.2,3,5 «tab»Ovid, «i»Heroides ix«/i» «tab»Ovid, «i»Metamorphoses«/i» ix.101-238tryty567rtyb «b»Secondary sources «tab»«/b»Harry Thurston Peck, «i»Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities,«/i» 1898 «b»Notes «u»1. ^«/u»«/b» P. Walcot, "Greek Attitudes towards Women: The Mythological Evidence" «i»Greece and Rome«/i», 2nd Series, «b»31«/b»:1:43 (April 1984); «u»at JSTOR <http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0017-3835%28198404%292%3A31%3A1%3C37%3AGATWTM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-8>«/u» «u»«b»2. ^«/u»«/b» Koine. Y. (editor in chief), «i»Kenkyusha's New English-Japanese Dictionary«/i», 5«sup»th«/sup» ed., Kenkyusha, 1980, p.551. «u»«b»3. ^«/u»«/b» Hyginus, «i»Fabulae«/i», 31 «u»[1] <http://www.theoi.com/Text/HyginusFabulae1.html>«/u» «u»«b»4. ^«/u»«/b» Diodorus Siculus, «i»Library of History«/i», 4.16.3 «u»[2] «/u»
  Person ID	I60651	Glenn Cook Family
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2013

  
  

  Family	Heracles of Greek Myth   d. Yes, date unknown
  Children	1. Hyllus   d. Yes, date unknown
  Family ID	F551617056	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	19 Jun 2013

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Deianera Deianira painting by Evelyn De Morgan
  		Deianira Deïaneira and Nessus by Vlahos Vaggelis
  		Deianeira Heracles, Deianira and Nessus, black-figure hydria, 575-550 BC, Louvre (E 803)