Alcestis

In Greek mythology, Alcestis was the stunning daughter of Pelias, the king of Iolcus in Thessaly. Pelias made a challenge: he would give his daughter in marriage to any man who could arrive in a chariot drawn by a lion and a boar. Admetus, the king of Pherae in Thessaly, succeeded in this feat with the help of the god Apollo. As punishment for angering Zeus, Apollo had been sent to serve as a shepherd for Admetus. In gratitude for the king's kindness, Apollo assisted him in winning Alcestis’s hand. When Admetus was on the brink of death, Apollo appealed to the Fates to spare him. They agreed, but only if someone would volunteer to die in his Legendary Place. Everyone refused, except Alcestis, who bravely offered her life to save her husband. Some versions of the story suggest that Persephone, the goddess of the underworld, admired Alcestis’s selflessness and allowed her to live. In other accounts, the hero Hercules, who was a guest at Admetus’s palace, fought Death itself to rescue Alcestis. Hercules prevailed, compelling Death to release her.