Nessos (1)Nessus

The Centaur who was responsible for the death of Herakles (Heracles).

When Herakles, his wife Deianeira, and his son Hyllos, were traveling, they came to the river Evenus and encountered Nessos.

Nessos offered to carry Deianeira across the river on his back while Herakles waded across with Hyllos; Nessos quickly transported Deianeira across the river and, with unbridled depravity, tried to forcibly seduce her; Herakles fell on the Centaur with savage fury and moments later Nessos lay bleeding to death on the riverbank.

Before he died Nessos secretly told Deianeira that his blood was a powerful love potion and that if she were to put the magic blood on Herakles it would bind him to her forever; Deianeira collected some of Nessos’ blood and put it on Herakles’ cloak; the blood was poison to Herakles and burned him like acid; Deianeira was horrified that she had mortally wounded the man she had hoped to bind with love; she killed herself in desperation; Herakles was in excruciating pain as a result of poison and also killed himself but he was raised onto Mount Olympos (Olympus) where he became immortal.