The mountain on which Makyneia was built is called Klokova. In antiquity it was known as Taphiassus and was considered the final resting place of Nessus, the centaur (creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body and legs of a horse) who tried to rape Deianeira, the wife of Hercules. The hero killed Nessus with a poisoned arrow and buried him in Taphiassus. Other centaurs were also laid to rest here. From their corpses arose stinking waters that flow into the sea from springs of fetid water. The mountain was infamous among travellers in ages past. The main road ran along the face of a precipitous cliff overhanging the sea, giving the mountain its third name: Paliovouna (Bad mountain).