Hyllus’s Family Tree

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Family

• Deianira(parent),Heracles(parent)— Marriage

  Heracles married Deianira after winning her hand by wrestling the river god Achelous. Their son Hyllus led the Heraclidae after Heracles' death and apotheosis.

• Iole(spouse)— Marriage

  In Sophocles' Trachiniae, the dying Heracles commanded Hyllus to marry Iole, the captive Oechalian princess. Hyllus reluctantly agreed, and their descendants became the Dorian royal houses of the Peloponnese.

Allied with

• Iolaus

  Iolaus, Heracles' nephew and longtime companion, fought alongside Hyllus and the Heraclidae against Eurystheus. In Euripides' Children of Heracles, the aged Iolaus is miraculously rejuvenated to help defeat the enemy.

• Theseus

  Theseus and Athens gave sanctuary to Hyllus and the Heraclidae when they were driven into exile by Eurystheus. In Euripides' Children of Heracles, the Athenians fought and defeated Eurystheus on behalf of Heracles' children.

Enemy of

• Eurystheus

  Eurystheus persecuted the Heraclidae after Heracles' death, driving Hyllus and his siblings into exile. In Euripides' Children of Heracles, Eurystheus pursues them across Greece until Athens grants them sanctuary.

Slain by

• Echemus

  Echemus, king of Tegea, killed Hyllus in single combat at the Isthmus of Corinth. The duel was fought to decide whether the Heraclidae could reclaim the Peloponnese; Hyllus's death forced their withdrawal for a hundred years.

Associated with

• Alcmene

  Alcmene, Hyllus's grandmother and the mother of Heracles, accompanied the Heraclidae in their exile. In Euripides' Children of Heracles, Alcmene demands Eurystheus's execution after his defeat, reflecting the family's generations of persecution.

• Apollo

  Apollo's oracle at Delphi directed Hyllus's campaign to reclaim the Peloponnese. The ambiguous prophecy of \"the third harvest\" misled Hyllus into attacking too early, resulting in his death at the hands of Echemus.

• Deianira

  In Sophocles' Trachiniae, Hyllus confronts his mother Deianira, accusing her of deliberately poisoning Heracles with Nessus's robe. His bitter reproach drives Deianira to suicide before Hyllus learns the truth of her innocence.

• Delphi

  Hyllus consulted the oracle at Delphi about when to reclaim the Peloponnese. The oracle told him to wait for \"the third harvest,\" which Hyllus mistakenly interpreted as three years rather than three generations, leading to his premature and fatal campaign.