Achelous and Hercules fight for the same girl, Deianira. At first Achelous evades Hercules by transforming into a slippery snake, but Hercules eventually tears off his horn and defeats him.

The centaur Nessus also loved Deianira. Nessus offers to help Hercules and Deianira cross a stream, but when Hercules thinks Nessus is kidnapping Deianira, he kills Nessus. In return, Nessus “gave / his shirt soaked in warm gore to Deianira, / a talisman, he said, to kindle love” (203). Later, when Deianira is insecure about Hercules’ loving another woman named Iole, she gives him the shirt, poisoning him with the centaur’s blood.

Hercules, suffering greatly from the poison, travels to Mt. Oeta where he begs Juno to end his torture. He builds himself a pyre and jumps in. This burns away his mortal essence, and he emerges as a god.