Lichas in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Lichas

11 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Lichas, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Lichas was the servant of the hero Heracles in Greek mythology. When Heracles' wife Deianira decided to give the poisoned Shirt of Nessus to her husba... For the story in one place, read our article on Lichas.

Sophocles (7)

Sophocles, Women of Trachis 335–430Second episode (cont.): the Messenger exposes LichasThe Messenger stops Deianeira from going in and tells her that Lichas has been lying. He says that he heard Lichas declare in public that Heracles destroyed the city of Eurytus for love of the girl, who is Iole, Eurytus' daughter. Deianeira is shocked, and when she questions Lichas he says that the girl is a Euboean of unknown birth, and denies that he ever said otherwise.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 293–334Second episode: Deianeira and the captive girlDeianeira rejoices in her husband's safety but pities the captive women, and singles out one of them, noble in appearance and silent in grief. She asks Lichas who she is, and he claims that he does not know. Deianeira says that the girl should be left in peace and go into the house, and that she herself will prepare for Lichas' return journey.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 588–632Third episode: Deianeira sends the robeThe Chorus think well of the plan, but Deianeira says that only trying will show. She gives Lichas the sealed chest with the robe and tells him that no one else must wear it, and that it must not be seen by fire or sunlight until Heracles puts it on at the sacrifice. Lichas promises to carry it faithfully and goes.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 205–292First stasimon; Lichas arrives with the captive womenThe Chorus call on the women to raise a cry of joy for the return of Heracles and for Apollo and Artemis. Lichas arrives with a group of captive women and tells Deianeira that her husband is alive and about to offer sacrifice at Cape Cenaeum in Euboea. He says that Heracles was kept for a year in servitude to Omphale in Lydia as a penalty for killing Iphitus by treachery, and that he then sacked the city of Eurytus.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 431–496Second episode (cont.): Lichas confessesDeianeira begs Lichas by Zeus not to hide the truth from her, saying that she knows that all men are subject to desire and that she will not blame Heracles or the girl. Lichas admits that the Messenger is right, that Heracles sacked Oechalia out of passion for the girl, and that he did not tell her out of fear of causing her pain. Deianeira says that she will not fight the gods, and goes in to bring gifts for Heracles.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 731–820Fourth episode: Hyllus accuses his motherHyllus returns and tells his mother that he wishes she were dead or someone else's mother, and that she has killed his father. He tells how Heracles put on the robe at the sacrifice at Cape Cenaeum, how the poison burned him and he threw Lichas against a rock in the sea, and how he has been carried home on a ship. Hyllus prays that Justice and the Erinys will punish her, and Deianeira goes into the house without a word.
Sophocles, Women of Trachis 141–204First episode: the tablet and the Messenger's good newsDeianeira tells the women what Heracles left with her before he went: a tablet foretelling that after fifteen months he would either die or live free from toil, and she says that this is the moment. A Messenger from the army, crowned with garlands, announces that Heracles is alive and victorious and that his herald Lichas is on his way. Deianeira prays in joy to Zeus.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.36.1–4.39.4The death of HeraclesHeracles takes the field with the Calydonians against the Thesprotians and, after he kills a serving boy by accident, goes into exile with Deïaneira. At the river Euenus the centaur Nessus attacks her; dying, he gives her a charm, and years later she uses it on a robe to win Heracles back from Iole. The robe consumes Heracles, who has himself burned on a pyre on Mount Oeta; the section closes with the honours paid to him as hero and god.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.98–272Nessus and the death of HeraclesHeracles (Hercules), returning with Deianira, crosses the river Evenus, where the centaur Nessus offers to carry her across and tries to take her. Heracles shoots him with an arrow dipped in the hydra's poison, and the dying Nessus gives Deianira his blood-stained tunic as a love-charm. Years later, jealous of Iole, she sends the tunic to Heracles, who is burned by the poison, and tears at his flesh, and is raised to the sky from a funeral pyre on Mount Oeta.

Pausanias (2)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.2.1–11Olympia: Spartan horse-breeders and the seer ThrasybulusPausanias describes statues of an Acarnanian pancratiast and of Spartan horse-breeders, among them Lycinus, Arcesilaus and his son Lichas, who was whipped for tying a ribbon on his charioteer after entering a chariot in the name of the Theban people. He then describes the statue of the Elean seer Thrasybulus, one of the Iamids descended from Iamus, with its lizard and sacrificed dog. The section ends with statues of Antipater of Miletus, Timosthenes, Timon and Aesypus, and the Messenian boy Damiscus.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.3.1–10Sparta: Polydorus, the Messenian revolt and the bones of Orestes at TegeaPausanias continues the Agid kings, with Polydorus’ reign, colonies at Crotona and Locri, the first Messenian war and Polydorus’ assassination by Polemarchus, then the Messenian revolt under Anaxander. He describes how Lichas found the bones of Orestes in a Tegean smithy by interpreting the oracle, and argues from this and Homer that heroic weapons were of bronze. He ends with Anaxandrides’ two wives and the birth of Cleomenes, Dorieus, Leonidas and Cleombrotus.