Laomedon: Encyclopedia - Laomedon

Laomedon

In Greek mythology, Laomedon was a Trojan king and father of Ganymedes, Priam, Astyoche, Lampus, Hicetaon, Clytius, Cilla, Aethylla, and Hesione. Tithonus is also described by most sources as Laomedon's eldest legitimate son; and most sources omit Ganymedes from the list of Laomedon's children. Laomedon's wife is variously named (Strymo, Leucippe, Zeuxippe, Placia, Thoösa). He also begot a bastard son named Bucolion on the nymph Abarbarea, as recounted by Homer in the Iliad.

Laomedon owned several horses with divine parentage, with whom Anchises secretly bred his own mares.

According to one story, Laomedon's son, Ganymedes, was kidnapped by Zeus, who had fallen in love with the beautiful boy. Laomedon grieved for his son. Sympathetic, Zeus sent Hermes with two horses so swift they could run over water. Hermes also assured Laomedon that Ganymedes was immortal and would be the cupbearer for the gods, a position of much distinction. However, Ganymedes is more usually described as a son of Tros, an earlier King of Troy and grandfather of Laomedon. Laomedon himself was son of Ilus, son of Tros.

Poseidon and Apollo, having offended Zeus, were sent to serve King Laomedon. He had them build huge walls around the city and promised to reward them well, a promise he then refused to fulfill. In vengeance, before the Trojan War, Poseidon sent a sea monster to attack Troy.

Laomedon planned on sacrificing Hesione to Poseidon in the hope of appeasing him. Heracles (along with Oicles and Telamon) rescued her at the last minute and killed both the monster and Laomedon and Laomedon's sons, save Podarces, who saved his own life by giving Heracles a golden veil Hesione had made (and therefore was afterwards called Priam, from priamai 'to buy'). Telamon took Hesione as a war prize and she gave birth to Teucer by him.

Category: Greek mythological people

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Laomedon", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki