Deianira
Greek · quartigod · heroic age · Recorded classification
Aetolian princess of Calydon, daughter of King Oeneus and Althaea (or by some accounts of Dionysus by Althaea). Heracles's second wife, won by him in single combat against the river-god Achelous. Mother of Hyllus and several other children including Macaria. The Sophoclean Trachiniae makes her the unwitting agent of Heracles's death — she sent the Nessus-blood-soaked shirt believing the centaur's dying claim that it was a love-philtre that would restore Heracles's affection from the captive Iole; the centaur-blood was poisoned with Hydra-venom from the arrow Heracles had killed Nessus with, and the resulting agony drove Heracles to the pyre on Mount Oeta. On learning what she had done, Deianira hanged herself in their bedchamber. The Sophoclean treatment turns her into one of the great unwitting-tragic-agents of the Greek canon — innocent intent, catastrophic effect, terminal recognition.
Parentage
Recorded default; alternative parentage accounts are listed separately below.
- father: OeneusApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- mother: AlthaeaApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
Parentage accounts
Each account is a separate source claim. The parentage and children listed outside these accounts use the recorded default. Selecting an account in the interactive app updates its lineage, descent classification and inherited-power candidates. Linked pedigree accounts are selected together; other records retain their recorded parentage. Claims of ancestry are not proof of biological descent or attested powers.
- Apollodorus: Aetolian ancestryThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
Claimed divine ancestry; fraction unquantified because the account is incomplete.
- father: OeneusApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- mother: AlthaeaApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
Complete cited pedigree (30 ancestral accounts)
- OeneusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: PorthaonApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- mother: Euryte, daughter of HippodamasApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- PorthaonThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Agenor of PleuronApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Epicaste, daughter of CalydonApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- Agenor of PleuronThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: PleuronApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Xanthippe, daughter of DorusApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- PleuronThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: AetolusApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Pronoe, daughter of PhorbusApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- AetolusThe first account names an unnamed Naiad as mother. No personal identity is invented; the incomplete parents array names only Endymion. Iphianassa is preserved as an alternative.
- father: EndymionApollodorus, Library 1.7.6 (primary)
- EndymionThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: AethliusApollodorus, Library 1.7.5 (primary)
- mother: Calyce, daughter of AeolusApollodorus, Library 1.7.5 (primary)
- AethliusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: ZeusApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- mother: Protogenia, daughter of DeucalionApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- Protogenia, daughter of DeucalionThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Deucalion, son of PrometheusApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- mother: PyrrhaApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- Deucalion, son of PrometheusPrometheus is named as father; the mother is not named in this passage.
- father: PrometheusApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- PyrrhaThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: EpimetheusApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- mother: PandoraApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- Calyce, daughter of AeolusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Aeolus, son of HellenApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: EnareteApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- Aeolus, son of HellenThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: HellenApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: OrseisApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- HellenThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Deucalion, son of PrometheusApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- mother: PyrrhaApollodorus, Library 1.7.2 (primary)
- EnareteThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Deimachus, father of EnareteApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- Pronoe, daughter of PhorbusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Phorbus, father of PronoeApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- Xanthippe, daughter of DorusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Dorus, father of XanthippeApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- Epicaste, daughter of CalydonThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: CalydonApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Aeolia, daughter of AmythaonApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- CalydonThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: AetolusApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Pronoe, daughter of PhorbusApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- Aeolia, daughter of AmythaonThe passage names Amythaon as father but no mother; his marriage to Idomene is not evidence for this daughter's maternity.
- father: AmythaonApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- AmythaonThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: CretheusApollodorus, Library 1.9.11 (primary)
- mother: TyroApollodorus, Library 1.9.11 (primary)
- CretheusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Aeolus, son of HellenApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: EnareteApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- TyroThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: SalmoneusApollodorus, Library 1.9.8 (primary)
- mother: Alcidice, mother of TyroApollodorus, Library 1.9.8 (primary)
- SalmoneusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Aeolus, son of HellenApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: EnareteApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- Euryte, daughter of HippodamasThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Hippodamas, son of AchelousApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- Hippodamas, son of AchelousThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: AchelousApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: Perimede, daughter of AeolusApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- Perimede, daughter of AeolusThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Aeolus, son of HellenApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- mother: EnareteApollodorus, Library 1.7.3 (primary)
- AlthaeaThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Thestius of AetoliaApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- mother: EurythemisApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- Thestius of AetoliaThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: AresApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: DemoniceApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- DemoniceThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- father: Agenor of PleuronApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- mother: Epicaste, daughter of CalydonApollodorus, Library 1.7.7 (primary)
- EurythemisThe named genealogy in Apollodorus; unnamed parents remain unknown. Mythic parentage is not a historical claim.
- mother: Cleoboea, mother of EurythemisApollodorus, Library 1.7.10 (primary)
- Satyrus: transmitted divine ancestryThe pedigree names Dionysus and Althaea; the Oeneus account is preserved separately. This is a dynastic ancestry claim, not established biological history.
Claimed divine ancestry; fraction unquantified because the account is incomplete.
- father: DionysusSatyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
- mother: AlthaeaSatyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
Complete cited pedigree (1 ancestral accounts)
- AlthaeaOnly the parents named in the transmitted passage are included. Missing coparents remain unknown. This is a dynastic ancestry claim, not established biological history.
- father: Thestius of AetoliaSatyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
- Oeneus and Althaea: ApollodorusApollodorus lists Deianira among the children of Oeneus and Althaea while also reporting Dionysus as her father. The accounts are alternatives.
Divine ancestry; fraction unquantified because the account is incomplete.
- father: OeneusApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- mother: AlthaeaApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
Children
Children in alternative accounts
- Hyllus: Satyrus: transmitted divine ancestrySatyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
Variant accounts
- classification correctionThe named parentage and newly completed Apollodoran ancestry place the record in this registry ancestry band. This updates the prior tier based on incomplete ancestry; the band does not assert an exact biological percentage where coparents or source alternatives remain unresolved.Apollodorus, Library 1.7.2–10; 1.8.1 (primary)
Powers
- Anoint a robe with the centaur's poisoned blood as a love-charm
Relations
- spouse: HeraclesReciprocal of greek_apollod_heracles.spouse. Heracles's second wife; her unwitting application of the Nessus-blood-soaked shirt killed him.Apollod. 2.7.5-7 (primary)
- father: OeneusApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- mother: AlthaeaApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- father (Apollodoran account): OeneusApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- mother (Apollodoran account): AlthaeaApollodorus, Library 1.8.1 (primary)
- father (dynastic pedigree): DionysusNamed parent in the Satyrus pedigree; select that account to display the claimed lineage.Satyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
- mother (dynastic pedigree): AlthaeaNamed parent in the Satyrus pedigree; select that account to display the claimed lineage.Satyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
- child (dynastic pedigree): HyllusNamed child in the Satyrus pedigree; this claim does not alter conventional default parentage.Satyrus, dynastic genealogy preserved in Theophilus, To Autolycus 2.7 (Greek text) (primary)
Sources
- existence: Soph. Trach.; Apollod. 2.7.5-7 (primary)