Déjanire

In the Greek Mythology, Déjanire (in Greek old Δηϊάνειρα / Dêĩáneira or Δῃάνειρα ), girl of Œnée (king of Calydon) and of Althée, is the woman of Héraclès.

Myth

Hercules had heard of the beauty of Déjanire, with the Enfers, by the shade of his brother, Méléagre, which had begged Hercules to marry it.

Hercules had as a rival the river Achéloos which was transformed into bull. The hero broke a horn then to him and was victorious. Thus, he married Déjanire and helped his father to subject the Thesprotes.

However after this victory, it accidentally killed the wine waiter of Œnoé and had to leave the kingdom. It took along Déjanire towards Trachis but the river Événos barred the road to them.

The Centaure Nessos offered to transport Déjanire on other bank, while Hercules would pass to ford. Hercules accepted, but when he saw that Nessos had benefitted from the moment to try to rape his wife, he sent to the centaur one arrows poisoned with the blood of the Hydre de Lerne. Before dying, Nessos, making pretense of repentance, advised in Déjanire, if the love of Hercules has suddenly declined, to soak a clothing in its blood and to give it to carry to her husband; thus, its passion would return.

Déjanire took a little blood of the wound of Nessos and kept it in a bottle. Later, after having given to Hecule several children, in particular Hyllos and Macaria, she learned that Héraclès had taken for mistress Iole. She then decided to use the trick of Nessos, and sent to Hercules an impregnated tunic blood of the centaur. When the hero covered it, it was burned until death. Déjanire, of despair, was hung.

Artistic evocations

This event provided the subject of the Trachiniennes of Sophocle and of the Hercules to the mount Œta of Sénèque. the Removal of Déjanire is one of the most beautiful tables of Guido Reni.

In the garden of the Town hall of Rouen, a basin is decorated with a sculpture evoking the removal of Déjanire by the Centaure Nessus.

See too

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