Heracles and Telamon against the Amazons

In Greek mythology, Telamon (gr. Τελαμών), son of Aeacus, King of Aegina and Endeis and brother of Peleus, accompanied Jason as one his Argonauts, and was present at the hunt for the Calydonian Boar. He also participated in the Trojan War on the side of the Greeks, along with his son, Ajax.

After killing their half-brother, Phocus, Telamon and Peleus had to leave Aegina. King Cychreus of Salamis welcomed Telamon and befriended him. Telamon married Periboea, who gave birth to Ajax. Later, Cychreus gave Telamon his kingdom.

Telamon also figures into both versions of Heracles' sacking of Troy, which was ruled by King Laomedon or Tros in the alternate versions.

Before the Trojan War, Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy.

In the King Tros version, Heracles (along with Telamon and Oicles) agreed to kill the monster if Tros would give him the horses he received from Zeus as compensation for Zeus' kidnapping Ganymede, Tros' son. Tros agreed; Heracles succeeded and Telamon married Hesione, Tros' daughter, giving birth to Teucer by him.

In the King Laomedon version, Laomedon planned on sacrificing his daughter Hesione to Poseidon in the hope of appeasing him. Heracles rescued her at the last minute and killed both the monster and Laomedon and Laomedon's sons, save Ganymede, who was on Mt. Olympus, and Podarge, who saved his own life by giving Heracles a golden veil Hesione had made. Telamon took Hesione as a war prize and married her, and she gave birth to Teucer by him.

Apollodorus. Bibliotheke I, viii, 2 and ix 16; II, vi, 4; III, xii,6-7; Apollonius Rhodius. Argonautica I, 90-94; Ovid. Metamorphoses VIII, 309.

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Telamon is also a surname of Atlas, describing him as the sufferer or bearer of heaven, from τλάω. (Serv. ad Aen. i. 741, iv. 246.)


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