Have you heard about the beauty queen from Puerto Rico who claims her clothing was tampered with and implanted with pepper spray? If not, you may be interested in reading one of the myriad articles, for instance, Pageant officials investigate pepper spray prank. As soon as I heard about it I thought of the witch Medea and Hercules and the centaurs. If you didn't make that connection, find out why I did.
Medea of Colchis was a witch who had helped Jason steal the golden fleece. Afterwards, she lived with him as his wife and gave birth to two children. Jason did not consider their relationship a legal marriage, although Medea did. When Jason told her he was going to marry someone else, Glauce, daughter of King Creon, Medea pretended complaisance and presented the fiancee with a wedding gown. When Glauce put on the gift it burned her to death.
Hercules, too, was burned through the devise of a jealous lover and a poison tunic. Deianeira gave Hercules clothing that, she thought, would make him fall back in love with her. The secret love potion came from the blood of the centaur Nessus, whom Hercules had killed using the poisonous blood of the Lernaean Hydra. Hercules had to build a funeral pyre to finish the process of self-immolation. Hercules and the Centaurs Picture © Clipart.com
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