Hero Versus Centaur: Heracles and Nessos
Mythological bias, symbolism, and the story that helped spark Sons of Apollo.
One of the most well-known centaur myths in Greek mythology is the story of Heracles (Hercules) and Nessos (Nessus in Latin). It is a relatively short but dramatic tale—filled with seduction, deception, revenge, and a fight to the death.
Like many centaur myths, it follows a familiar and revealing pattern.
The Myth of Heracles and Nessos
After the battle with the Lapiths and the centaurs’ subsequent expulsion from Thessaly, centaurs scattered across various regions of Hellas. Nessos settled near the River Evenus, where he took up work as a ferryman, carrying travelers across the dangerous current on his back.
When Heracles arrived with his new bride, Deianira—a woman he had won by defeating another centaur, Eurytos—Nessos offered to carry her safely across the river.
Midway through the crossing, however, Nessos’ desire overcame his restraint. He attempted to abduct Deianira. She cried out, and Heracles responded by shooting Nessos with one of his arrows poisoned with the blood of the Hydra.
In some versions of the myth, Heracles instead beats Nessos to death with his club.
Either way, the centaur dies—and the hero prevails.
The Pattern Behind the Story
Unlike their leader Kheiron, centaurs in Greek mythology are routinely characterized as drunken, lustful, violent, and uncivilized. Nessos’ portrayal fits this pattern perfectly.
The structure of these stories is strikingly repetitive:
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A beautiful woman encounters a centaur
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The centaur desires her and attempts seduction or abduction
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A hero intervenes and kills the centaur
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Civilization triumphs over barbarity
This narrative appears again and again in Greek myth—particularly in stories involving Heracles, the most popular of Greek heroes.
A hero, after all, requires a villain.
As I continued my study of mythology, this repetition became impossible to ignore. It raised an uncomfortable question:
Were the centaurs always the villains—or simply cast that way?
Symbolism: Hero Versus Monster
In classical mythology and art, battles between heroes and centaurs are often interpreted symbolically. They represent:
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Civilization versus chaos
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Order versus instinct
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Culture versus the wild
The centaur, as a creature that is both human and animal, becomes the perfect embodiment of opposition.
This framing left little room for nuance.
The Myth That Wouldn’t Go Away
The negative portrayal of centaurs persists even in modern retellings. One of the most widely recognized versions of the myth appears briefly in Disney’s Hercules (1997), where Nessos is reduced to a predatory caricature—further reinforcing centuries-old assumptions.
The more versions of this story I encountered, ancient and modern alike, the more clearly I saw the pattern.
If I wanted to read a story that didn’t follow it—one that explored the centaurs’ cultural perspective rather than humanity’s—I realized I would have to write it myself.
That realization became the foundation of Sons of Apollo.
From Myth to Sons of Apollo
Sons of Apollo follows the descendants of Kentauros, son of Apollo, and reexamines familiar mythological events through centaur eyes.
Rather than asking who won, the series asks:
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What was lost?
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Who was erased?
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And what happens to a people remembered only as monsters?
Learn More About Nessos
For readers interested in exploring Nessos’ role in classical mythology, I recommend the following resources:
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Theoi.com – an excellent, comprehensive source on Greek myth
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Greek Myth Index – for cross-referenced versions and sources
Continue the Journey
If you love Greek mythology and enjoy thoughtful, myth-inspired fantasy, the Sons of Apollo series may be for you, or join my newsletter for content updates.
Read the first chapter of Mate for a Centaur
Every myth chooses its heroes. Few ask who paid the price.
