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Deianira, the second wife of Heracles, plays a pivotal role in the hero's tragic demise. A princess of Calydon, she was won by Heracles after he defeated the river god Achelous, who also sought her hand in marriage. Their relationship seemed promising at first, but fate intervened through an encounter with the centaur Nessus, setting the stage for disaster.

While traveling together, Heracles and Deianira reached a river where Nessus offered to carry her across. Once on the other side, Nessus attempted to abduct Deianira, prompting Heracles to shoot him with a poisoned arrow. As he lay dying, Nessus tricked Deianira by telling her that his blood could act as a love charm to keep Heracles faithful. Though well-meaning, this deceit would ultimately lead to the hero’s downfall.

Years later, Deianira grew fearful that Heracles had fallen in love with another woman. In desperation, she smeared Nessus’s blood on a cloak and sent it to Heracles as a gift. Unknowingly, she had poisoned her husband, and when he wore the cloak, it caused unbearable pain and slowly led to his death. Overwhelmed with guilt for causing Heracles' suffering, Deianira took her own life, leaving behind a story of love, jealousy, and tragedy.