IOLE (mythical daughter of Eurytus)

Eurytus had offered Iole as a prize to the winner of an archery contest.¹ Heracles defeated Eurytus and his sons in archery, but Eurytus refused to give Iole to Heracles in marriage, fearing the hero would kill their future children.^1,10 In response, Heracles sacked Oechalia and captured Iole as a prisoner after defeating her father and brothers in battle.^11,10 Her father was killed by a deadly club, his body mangled in the palace.⁷ Lichas escorted Iole into the house, though he denied bringing her as a bride and claimed not to know her identity.^4,12

Heracles felt a romantic love for Iole, and was described as holding her in his arms while intoxicated, calling out to her.^13,14 He loved her because he pitied her woes and lost home, and had a habit of loving his captive maids.⁸ Deianira observed that Iole appeared untried in the roles of wife or mother, judging her to be of noble birth based on her appearance.¹⁵

Among the exiled girls, Iole was the only one who knew self-control, and Deianira felt greater pity for her than for the others.¹⁵ Alcmene confided her old age complaints, her son's deeds, and personal misfortunes to Iole, who in turn recounted the tragic fate of her sister.^16,17 Alcmene comforted Iole by wiping away her tears.¹⁷ Iole lamented the destruction of temples, hearths, and homes in Thessaly, expressing a desire to be transformed into a weeping rock on Sipylus or to be placed by the Po river to join the mourning sisters of Phaethon.¹⁸

Heracles instructed his son Hyllus to marry her once she reached adulthood.¹¹ Hyllus took Iole as his wife and lover at Heracles' command, and impregnated her with a noble child.¹⁶ Iole was expected to give birth to brothers for Deianira's sons and was destined to become the daughter-in-law of Zeus.⁹ Heracles was ruined by his marriage to Iole.²