Nessus (mythology)

Nessus (mythology)
Guido Reni, Abduction of Deianira, 1620-21, Louvre Museum.
Heracles and Nessus by Giambologna, (1599), Florence.

In Greek mythology, Nessus (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 Deianeira, the wife of Heracles, across the river, he attempted to rape her. 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.[1]

Deianeira 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, Deianeira 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.

References

  1. ^ Ovid Metamorphoses, Book IX, 95 - 135.

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nessus — can have a number of meanings: Nessus (mythology), a famous centaur from Greek mythology The Tunic or Shirt of Nessus, the poisoned shirt of the centaur Nessus, in the story of Hercules Nessus, an alternate name of Nestos (god), son of Oceanus… …   Wikipedia

  • Shirt of Nessus — Lichas bringing the garment of Nessus to Hercules, woodcut by Hans Sebald Beham, circa 1542 1548. The Shirt of Nessus, Tunic of Nessus, Nessus robe, or Nessus shirt in Greek mythology was the poisoned shirt that killed Heracles. It was once a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Shirt of Nessus — The Shirt of Nessus, Tunic of Nessus, Nessus robe, or Nessus shirt in Greek mythology was the poisoned shirt that killed Hercules. It was once a popular reference in literature. In folkloristics, it is considered an instance of the Poison Dress… …   Wikipedia

  • List of cultural references in The Divine Comedy — The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri is a long allegorical poem in three parts or canticas (or cantiche ), Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio (Purgatory), and Paradiso (Paradise), and 100 cantos, with the Inferno having 34, Purgatorio 33, and Paradiso 33 …   Wikipedia

  • Heracles — This article is about the Greek mythic hero. For the Roman mythological analogue, see Hercules. For other uses, see Heracles (disambiguation). Heracles …   Wikipedia

  • List of Disney's Hercules characters — The following are fictional characters from Disney s 1997 film Hercules and from the 1998 TV series. These are heavily interpreted versions of Greek mythology, very different from the classical versions. Contents 1 Hercules 2 Phil 3 Megara …   Wikipedia

  • Deianira — Heracles, Deianira and Nessus, black figure hydria, 575 550 BC, Louvre (E 803) Deïanira or Dejanira (pronounced / …   Wikipedia

  • Hercules — This article is about the Roman mythological hero. For the Greek mythic hero from which Hercules was adapted, see Heracles. For other uses, see Hercules (disambiguation). Gilded bronze Roman Hercules of the Theatre of Pompey , found near the… …   Wikipedia

  • Iole — In Greek mythology, Iole (Ancient Greek: polytonic|Ἰόλη) was the daughter of Eurytus, king of Oechalia. cite web|url= http://dante.udallas.edu/hutchison/Heroes/Heracles/eurytos.htm|title= Apollodorus. Bibliotece |accessdate= 2008 08 27] According …   Wikipedia

  • Pierson's Puppeteers — Pierson s Puppeteers, often known just as Puppeteers, are a fictional alien race from American author Larry Niven s Known Space books. Biology and sociology Pierson s Puppeteers are described by Niven as having two forelegs and a single hindleg… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”