ABSTRACT
In the course of his return voyage, Herakles called in at Cape Kenaion at the southwestern tip of Euboea to offer a sacrifice to his father Zeus. He was unable to proceed with it at once, however, because he lacked the proper clothing, and he sent his herald LICHAS ahead to Trachis to fetch some ceremonial robes. While fulfilling his task, Lichas happened to mention to Deianeira that her husband was bringing Iole home with him as a captive; or he even told her that Herakles was in love with the princess. Alarmed by this unwelcome news, Deianeira called to mind the supposed love-potion that she had acquired by collecting blood and semen of the dying Centaur Nessos (see p. 281). As we saw above, Nessos had told her that this mixture would ensure the fidelity of her husband, but it was in fact a virulent poison because the Centaur’s blood had been contaminated with hydra’s venom from Herakles’ arrow. Taking Nessos at his word, however, Deianeira rubbed some of it into her husband’s robes before passing them on to Lichas. When Herakles put on the robes and approached the fire to make his intended sacrifice, the poison was activated by the heat of the flames and began to burn into his skin, causing him unendurable pain.235
