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Nessus (Ancient Greek: Νέσσος) was a famous centaur in Greek mythology. He was killed by Heracles. He was the son of Centauros. He fought in the battle with theLapiths and survived. He later ferried passengers across the Euenos river.

Heracles Kills Nessus[]

Heracles married Deianeira, daughter of the king of Calydon. They traveled to a dangerous river. Heracles crossed on his own. But he paid the centaur Nessus to ferry his wife across. Nessus hated Heracles, for he had been among the centaurs that Heracles fought during his years of labor. The centaur threw himself upon Deianeira. Heracles shot Nessus with one of his arrows dipped in poisonous Hydra blood. As the centaur was dying, he told Deianeira that if she ever needed a love potion to use on Heracles, his blood would work. Deianeira believed him—who knows why—and kept the centaur’s poisoned blood in a vial. It would prove to be Heracles’ doom.

Heracles dies with Nessus's blood[]

Heracles’ ending was insanely painful. His wife Deianeira worried that his love for her was waning. So she gave him a cloak soaked with the centaur’s blood—blood tainted with the venomous Hydra’s blood. Heracles put on the cloak and writhed and screamed as the poison ate into him. It hurt so horribly that he built a pyre for himself and climbed on. Then he gave his bow and arrows to a young follower, Philoctetes, and convinced him to set the pyre aflame. Heracles burned up.

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Nessus attempts to abduct Deineira from Heracles

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