Everything about Hesione totally explained
In
Greek mythology, the most prominent
Hesione was a
Trojan princess, daughter of King
Laomedon of
Troy, sister of
Priam and second wife of King
Telamon of
Salamis.
Poseidon, angered by being cheated out of his wages by Laomedon, sent a sea monster to attack Troy. Oracles promised deliverance if Laomedon would expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured by the sea monster (in other versions, the lot happened to fall on her) and he exposed her by fastening her to the rocks near the sea.
Heracles (along with
Telamon and
Oicles) happened to arrive on their return from the expedition against the Amazons. Seeing her exposed, Heracles promised to save her on condition that Laomedon would give him the wonderful horses he'd received from
Zeus as compensation for Zeus' kidnapping of Ganymede. Laomedon agreed and Heracles slew the monster, in some accounts after being swallowed by it and hacking at its innards for three days before it died and he emerged having lost all his hair. However, Laomedon refused the promised award. In a later expedition Heracles attacked Troy, slew Laomedon and all Laomedon's sons except the youngest named Podarces. Heracles gave Laomedon's daughter Hesione as a prize to Telamon instead of keeping her for himself. He allowed her to take with her any captives that she wished and she chose her brother Podarces. Heracles allowed her to ransom him in exchange for his veil whence Podarces was henceforth known as
Priam from
primai 'to buy'. Heracles then bestowed the government of Troy on Priam. However, it's also claimed that Priam simply happened to be absent during Heracles attack on Troy, being campaigning in Phrygia.
Hesione was taken home by Telamon, married him and bore him a son
Teucer, half-brother to Telamon's son
Ajax from his first marriage. Priam later sent Antenor and
Anchises to Greece to demand Hesione's return, but they were rejected and driven away, hence the willingness of Priam later to accept the abduction of Helen.
Others named Hesione
Hesione was an
Oceanid who became wife of
Prometheus according to both
Acusilaus and
Aeschylus (in
Prometheus Bound). Hesione was also the name of the wife of
Nauplius according to Cercops as cited by
Apollodorus (2.1.5). The name
Hesione in
Dictys Cretensis 4.22 appears to be an error for
Plesione of Dictys 1.9 and that in turn an error for
Pleione.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Hesione'.
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