Lichas
Herald of Heracles who unwittingly delivered the poisoned robe that killed his master
The Legend of Lichas
Lichas was Heracles' loyal herald and messenger. When Heracles captured the city of Oechalia and took the princess Iole as a concubine, his wife Deianira grew fearful of losing him. She sent Lichas with a robe smeared with what she believed was a love charm — actually the poisonous blood of the centaur Nessus. Lichas, knowing nothing of the robe's true nature, delivered it faithfully. When Heracles put on the garment, the poison burned into his flesh like acid, and it could not be removed. In his agony and rage, Heracles seized Lichas by the ankle and hurled him into the sea, where he was transformed into a rocky outcrop near the island of Euboea.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
He was turned into an island rock — one of myth's most extreme punishments for an innocent messenger
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