| Nessus | |
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Real Name |
Nessus |
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First Appearance |
Greek Mythology |
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Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
In Greek mythology, Nessus was a famous centaur who was killed by Heracles, and whose poisoned blood in turn killed Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with the Lapiths and became a ferryman on the river Euenos.
Nessus is known for his famous role in the story of the Tunic of Nessus. After carrying Deianeira, the wife of Heracles, across the river, he attempted to have intercourse with her. Heracles saw this from across the river and shot a Hydra-poisoned arrow into Nessus's breast. As he lay dying, as a final act of malice, Nessus told Deianeira that his blood would ensure that Heracles would be true to her forever, knowing the blood to be infected with the hydra's poison.
Deianeira foolishly believed him. Later, when her trust began to wane because of Iole, she spread the centaur's blood on a robe 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 robe 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. Heracles was then taken to Mount Olympus by Zeus and welcomed among the gods for his heroic exploits.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Nessus from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- The Library
- The Library of History
- Geography
- Description of Greece
- Imagines
- New History
- Fabulae
- Metamorphoses
- Heroides
- De Natura Deorum
- Medea
- The Argonautica
- The Inferno
Notes[]
- In Dante Alighieri's Inferno, Nessus is among the centaurs who patrol the outer rings of the Circle of Violence, making sure those immersed in the Phlegethon don't get out of their position. He was appointed by Chiron to guide Dante and Virgil alongside the Phlegethon.
- Nessus appears as an antagonist in the Disney movie Hercules voiced by Jim Cummings. In the film, he is portrayed as a lecherous river guardian and is Hercules's first major opponent. Hercules defeats him in battle and saves Megara from him, but it is later revealed that Megara had been sent by Hades to recruit Nessus for his cause.