MACARIA

[Greek] Macaria was the daughter of Heracles and appears in Euripides's play Heraclidae (The Children of Heracles). When she and her siblings took refuge from Eurystheus with Demophon, king of Athens, Eurystheus prepared to take them from the kingdom by force. Oracles told Demophon that his city would win the battle over Heracles's descendants only if a highborn maiden was offered as a sacrifice to Persephone. On hearing this, Macaria offered to die for her siblings. The spring where she died was named the Macarian spring in her honor.