The great Greek and Roman hero Hercules (aka Heracles) and Deianeira had recently been married. In their travels they faced the Evenus River, which the centaur Nessus offered to ferry them across. While mid-stream with Deianeira, Nessus tried to rape her, but Hercules answered her screams with a well-aimed arrow. Mortally wounded, Nessus told Deianeira that his blood, which was contaminated with Lernaean hydra blood from the arrow with which Hercules shot him, could be used as a potent love potion should Hercules ever stray. Deianeira believed the dying half-human creature and when she thought Hercules was straying, infused his clothing with Nessus' blood. When Hercules put the tunic on, it burned so badly he wanted to die, which he eventually accomplished. He gave the man who helped him die, Philoctetes, his arrows as reward. These arrows had also been dipped in the blood of the Lernaean hydra.
Abduction of Deianira, by Guido Reni, 1620-21, an Italian Baroque painter.
