A common theme running through Greek mythology was the downfall and demise of its heroes. Dozens died during the Trojan War; Bellerophon lived out his life as a blind cripple; and Jason was killed by a falling beam from the Argo. Even Heracles, the greatest of all Greek heroes was not immune.

Heracles’ life was full of adventures, completing his twelve labours, becoming a member of the Argonauts and fighting the Gigantes.

Towards the end of his life, Heracles was married to Deianeira, daughter of Oeneus, king of Calydon, when one day the pair came to the river Evenus. The river was a dangerous one to cross, and a centaur by the name of Nessus had established a business where he would carry people across for a fee. So Deianeira rode upon the back of the centaur whilst Heracles forded the river himself. Nessus was so taken with Heracles’ wife that he decided to ride off with her. Heracles though seeing what was happening shot the centaur dead with his bow and arrow. Even in death the centaur was thinking of his own revenge and so as he lay dying he presented his own blood soaked tunic to Deianeira, proclaiming that it would reinvigorate the love of Heracles for his wife were it ever to dwindle.

Several years later Heracles was absent from his wife when Heracles attacked Oechalia in order to gain possession of Iole. Deianeira hearing of events feared that she was on the verge of losing her husband to another woman. Heracles, as he returned home, sent one of his own companions, Lichas, to fetch a suitable tunic so that a sacrifice to Zeus could be made.

Deianeira remembered the words of Nessus and so presented Lichas with the tunic of the centaur. When Heracles put on the tunic the blood of the centaur, and the poisonous blood of the hydra which had killed Nessus, that was embedded in the tunic touched Heracles’ skin. The hero’s flesh started to fall away and reveal the bones beneath. Believing that Lichas had sought to kill him, Heracles threw him into the sea, and the companion was turned into the Lichadian Islands. Deianeira seeing what she had done committed suicide.

Wracked with pain, Heracles built his own funeral pyre from trees himself uprooted on Mount Oeta. Heracles then commanded that the pyre be lit, with him stood upon it. None of Heracles’ party was brave enough to light the wood but by chance Poeas and his son Philoctetes were passing. Poeas had been a former crewmate of Heracles aboard the Argo, and so he agreed to light the fire. For this deed Heracles bequeathed his own bow and arrows to Philoctetes; and so death came to Heracles.

Death was not the end for Heracles though, and the Greek hero did not live out eternity in Elysium but was granted true immortality by Zeus. As the fire lapped against his body, so the hero was taken up to Mount Olympus, to live forever. Heracles was reconciled with Hera, and the hero was given an immortal bride, Hebe, daughter of Zeus and Hera. Hebe would be Heracles’ fourth bride, and the pair would be parents to the twins Alexiares and Anicetus. The twins, along with their father, would become the physical protectors of Mount Olympus and its inhabitants for all of time.