Hesione

Hesione

Hesione was a name given to various figures in Greek mythology, but the best known is a princess of Troy. She was the daughter of King Laomedon, and sister of Priam. Telamon, king of Salamis, took her as his second wife.

The main myth in which Hesione has a pivotal role has the gods Apollo and Poseidon being angry at King Laomedon, who did not pay them what he had promised after they built Troy's walls. Apollo sent a plague to Troy, while Poseidon brought a sea monster that would destroy the city. Laomedon asked for advice from an oracle, and the answer was that he had to sacrifice his daughter, Hesione, to the sea monster. So, the king chained her to rocks next to the sea in order to be devoured by the monster. However, Heracles and Telamon, on their way back from the land of the Amazons, saw Hesione's anguish; the demigod told Laomedon he would save his daughter if he was given the horses Zeus had offered to Laomedon for kidnapping Ganymedes. Laomedon agreed, and Heracles killed the monster. Laomedon did not fulfill his part of the deal, and Heracles, angry, killed all of Laomedon's sons except Podarces. He then gave Hesione to Telamon, and she asked to take her brother Podarces with her. Since then, Podarces became known as Priam, meaning "to buy" as Hesione exchanged her veil for his safety. Hesione then went to Salamis with Telamon, and gave him a son, Teucros.

Years later, when Priam had returned to Troy and became the king, he sent his son Paris to retrieve Hesione and bring her back. However, Paris instead went to Sparta and took Helen, wife of King Menelaus, which was the trigger for the Trojan War.

See Also: Laomedon, Priam, Telamon, Apollo, Poseidon, Heracles, Paris, Helen, Menelaus, Trojan War

Hesione Q&A

Who was Hesione?

Hesione was a name given to various figures in Greek mythology, but the best known is a princess of Troy. She was the daughter of King Laomedon, and sister of Priam.

Who were the parents of Hesione?

The parent of Hesione was Laomedon.

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