MEGARA (wife of Heracles)

Heracles received Megara as a prize of valor and led her into marriage, a union that produced several sons, including Therimachus, Creontiades, and Deicoon.^1,2,3,11 Some sources state she bore three sons, while others recount that she gave birth to eight mail-clad men, all of whom perished.^1,3,12,9 The stability of their home was shattered when Lycus, a usurper of power in Thebes, sought to legitimize his rule by forcing Megara to marry him.^13,14,7 Lycus threatened to destroy Heracles' house and burn Megara and her children on a funeral pyre if she rejected his proposal, fearing the children would grow up to avenge their father's family.^15,7,16,13

Megara refused Lycus's suit, declaring her faithfulness to Heracles until death and offering her own death as a gift instead of marriage.^17,18 Barred from her house and lacking food, drink, and clothes, she was deserted by her friends and left to guard her children in despair.^10,19,4 She advised her father-in-law Amphitryon not to fight the tyrant to avoid their own destruction, urging her family to accept death rather than be burned alive.²⁰

In one account, Lycus intended to kill them, while in another, Heracles himself threw the children into a fire during his fit of madness.^{10,21,7,8,22,23} Megara expressed grief over the impending deaths of her children and herself, imploring the gods to save her life.^7,24 She sought to soothe her children with invented tales and soft words, delaying their questions about their father's whereabouts.⁴

After the madness subsided, Heracles led Megara and their children into the house, instructing her to stop weeping and gather her courage.²⁵ Megara clung to Heracles' robe, refusing to let go of him.²⁵ Heracles later gave Megara in marriage to Iolaus after completing his labors, though he had avoided having more children with her due to the previous tragedy.^26,27 Her fate remained one of profound sorrow, as she was a protective mother who attempted to flee and plead for mercy.^28,5