Lichas

Lichas (Greek Λίχας ) is a figure in Greek mythology. He is a servant of Hercules. On behalf of Deianira, his wife, delivers Lichas Heracles the shirt that has this covered with the toxic blood of Nessus, in the mistaken belief that this would renew the love of the allegedly unfaithful husband to her.

However, the putative love spell turns out to be a deception: instead of working love stiftend, claims directed the shirt, since Nessus ' blood from the venom of the Hydra was contaminated: by a sacrificial fire softened, flows the poisonous blood of the members of Hercules and burns his flesh. The shirt stuck so firmly to the body of Hercules that he while trying tear it down baring his own flesh with his breaks loose and bones. From pain tormented, the raging Hercules begins to destroy his surroundings: he runs around aimlessly, tearing down trees on the fly and finally accidentally discovered the terrified Lichas, who is hiding in fear behind a rock.

In some versions of the myth of Heracles Lichas also calls roaring induce pain. From anger to the alleged cause of his torments he grabs the innocent bearer of the poison on the foot and throws him unceremoniously into Euboean sea. There the unfortunate man transformed into a rock with a human form. ( Ovid, Metamorphoses Book IX, 211) In another variant of the substance is Lichas smashed against the rocks of the sea and lost in the spraying incoming tide.

Alluding to Lichas, who believed that to prove his master a service, but it actually brought the destruction, one also speaks of a Lichasdienst to describe a well-intentioned, but negatively impacting action. ( See also disservice. )