But when Laomedon would not give up his magical horses for their deeds, the hero put to sea after threatening to make war on Troy. When Laomedon agreed, Heracles (along with Oicles and Telamon) killed the monster and rescued Hesione at the last minute. The hero promised to save the princess on condition of receiving from Laomedon the mares which Zeus had given in compensation for the ascendance of Ganymede into Olympus to serve the Deities. But by chance, after fighting the Amazons, Heracles, who had landed at Troy, saw the girl to be sacrificed. The king then exposed her by fastening her to the rocks near the sea. The oracles foretold deliverance from these calamities if Laomedon would expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured by the sea monster. In vengeance, before the Trojan War, Apollo sent a pestilence to Troy while Poseidon released a sea monster which, carried up by a flood, snatched away the people of the plain. But when they had finished, the king refused to fulfill their agreement of reward. As ordered by Laomedon who promised wages, the two deities assuming the likeness of men undertook to build huge walls around the city. In other sources, the two gods simply tested the wantonness of the Laomedon. When Poseidon and Apollo entered a conspiracy to put Zeus in bonds, the supreme god being offended, sent them to serve with King Laomedon as punishment for their nefarious design. Laomedon himself was the son of Ganymede's brother Ilus, the son of Tros. Hermes also assured Tros that Ganymede was immortal and would be the cupbearer for the gods, a position of much distinction. Sympathetic, Zeus sent Hermes with two horses so swift they could run over water. Anchises secretly bred his own mares from these horses.Īccording to one story, Ganymede was kidnapped by Zeus, who had seen the exceptional Virtue of the boy, as worthy only of Olympus, and ascended the young man into Heaven. Laomedon owned several horses with divine parentage that Zeus had given Tros (Laomedon's grandfather) as compensation for the kidnapping of Tros's son Ganymede. Heracles about to kill Laomedon, detail of fresco from the triclinium of the House of Octavius Quartio at Pompeii Magical horses Comparative table of Laomedon's family Relation Dictys Cretensis added Thymoetes to the list of Laomedon's children. He also had a son named Bucolion by the nymph Calybe, as recounted by Homer in the Iliad. Laomedon's possible wives are Placia, Strymo (or Rhoeo), Zeuxippe or Leucippe by the former he begot Tithonus and by the latter King Priam (see John Tzetzes' Scholia in Lycophronem 18 «ὁ μὲν γὰρ Πρίαμος ἦν Λευκίππης, ὁ δὲ Τιθωνὸς Ῥοιοῦς ἢ Στρυμοῦς τῆς Σκαμάνδρου θυγατρὸς υἱός»: "Priamus was the son of Leucippe, whereas Tithonus was the son of Rhoeo or Strymo, the daughter of Scamander"). Tithonus is also described by most sources as Laomedon's eldest legitimate son, and most sources omit Ganymede from the list of Laomedon's children, but indicate him as his uncle instead. He was the father of Priam, Lampus, Hicetaon, Clytius, Hesione, Cilla, Astyoche, Proclia, Aethilla, Medesicaste and Clytodora. Thus, his possible siblings are Themiste, Telecleia and sometimes, even Tithonus. Laomedon's mother was variously identified as Eurydice, Leucippe or Batia. Hesione was given to Telamon as a war prize, and she ransomed her brother Podarces, who then became known as Priam. Heracles eventually conquered the city, killing Laomedon and his sons, except for Podarces. Heracles arrived and agreed to save Hesione in exchange for the magical horses, but Laomedon went back on his promise, causing Heracles to wage war on Troy. To end the calamities, Laomedon had to sacrifice his daughter Hesione to the sea monster. The two gods built walls around Troy, but Laomedon refused to pay them, leading to a pestilence and a sea monster attacking the city. Zeus sent Poseidon and Apollo to serve Laomedon as punishment for a conspiracy against Zeus. Laomedon owned magical horses with divine parentage, a gift from Zeus to his grandfather Tros in compensation for kidnapping Tros's son Ganymede. His possible wives were Placia, Strymo, Zeuxippe, or Leucippe. Laomedon was variously identified with different parents and siblings, as well as numerous children, including Priam and Tithonus. In Greek mythology, Laomedon ( / l eɪ ˈ ɒ m ɪ d ɒ n/ Ancient Greek: Λαομέδων means "ruler of the people") was a Trojan king, son of Ilus and thus nephew of Ganymede and Assaracus. (1) Tithonus, Priam, Lampus, Hicetaon, Clytius, Hesione, Cilla, Astyoche, Proclia, Aethilla, Medesicaste and Clytodora (1) Placia or Strymo (or Rhoeo) or Zeuxippe or Leucippe Themiste (or Themis), Telecleia, Tithonus and Ganymede Ilus II and Eurydice or Leucippe or Batea Heracles about to kill Laomedon, terra sigillata flask from Southern Gaul, late 1st century–early 2nd century AD
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