Deianira
Sign in to saveAlso known as Dejanira, Deianeira
Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira ( ; , or , ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her husband". She was the wife of Heracles and, in late Classical accounts, his unwitting murderer, killing him with the poisoned Shirt of Nessus. She is the main character in Sophocles' play Women of Trachis.
Key facts
- Deity.type
- Greek
- Deity.name
- Deianira
- Deity.deity_of
- Princess of Calydon
- Deity.member_of
- the Calydonian Royal House
- Deity.image
- Hercules and Deianira, Pompeii.jpg
- Deity.caption
- Heracles and Deianira antique fresco in Pompeii
- Deity.other_names
- Deïanira, Deianeira, Diyeneira, Deyanire, or Dejanira
- Deity.abode
- Calydon
- Deity.consort
- Heracles
- Deity.parents
- Althaea and Oeneus or Dionysus or Dexamenus
- Deity.siblings
- Meleager, Toxeus, Clymenus, Periphas, Agelaus, Thyreus, Gorge, Eurymede, Mothone, Perimede, Melanippe, and Tydeus (if Oeneus was her father) Eurypylus, Theronice and Theraephone (if Dexamenus was her father)
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Nessus and Dejanira MET DP-921-001.jpg
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Deianira
Sources (2)
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~6 min read
Article
11 sectionsContents
- Family
- Mythology and literature
- Marriage
- Death of Heracles
- Middle Age tradition
- Calydonian family tree
- Notes
- References
- Primary sources
- Secondary sources
- External links
Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira ( ; , or , ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her husband". She was the wife of Heracles and, in late Classical accounts, his unwitting murderer, killing him with the poisoned Shirt of Nessus. She is the main character in Sophocles' play Women of Trachis.
== Family == Deianira was the daughter of Althaea and her husband Oeneus (whose name means "wine-man"), the king of Calydon (after the wine-god gave the king the vine to cultivate), and the sister of Meleager. Her other siblings were Toxeus, Clymenus, Periphas, Agelaus (or Ageleus), Thyreus (or Phereus or Pheres), Gorge, Eurymede and Melanippe.thumb|Heracles, Deianira and Nessus, black-figure [[hydria, 575-550 BCE, Louvre (E 803)]]In some accounts, Deianira was the daughter of King Dexamenus of Olenus and thus, sister to Eurypylus, Theronice and Theraephone. Others called this daughter of Dexamenus as Mnesimache or Hippolyte.