In Greek mythology, Tlepolemus (; ) was the leader of the Rhodes forces in the Trojan War.[Homer, Iliad 2.653–70.]
Family
Tlepolemus was a son of
Heracles and
Astyoche, daughter of
Phylas, king of
Cichyrus.
Though some sources say that his mother was
Astydameia, daughter of Amyntor
or
Ormenus.
[Hesiod, Catalogue of Women fr. 232 M–W = schol. Pind. Ol. 7.42b: "Homer says that she was Astyoche, not Astydameia ... Hesiod also says that she was Astydameia, Pherecydes says Astygeneia. She was a daughter of Phylas. ... Herein Pindar says that she was daughter of Amyntor, but Hesiod and Simonides say Ormenus." (Ὅμηρος ταύτην Ἀστυόχην φησὶν, οὐκ Ἀστυδάμειαν ... καὶ Ἡσίοδος δὲ Ἀστυδάμειαν αὐτήν φησι, Φερεκύδης δὲ Ἀστυγένειαν. ἦν δὲ Φύλαντος θυγάτηρ ... ἐνταῦθα δὲ Ἀμύντορος αὐτήν φησιν ὁ Πίνδαρος, Ἡσίοδος δὲ καὶ Σιμωνίδης Ὀρμένου.)]
Mythology
Tlepolemus fled to Rhodes after slaying
Licymnius, Heracles' aged maternal uncle.
According to the
Bibliotheca, this was an accident—Tlepolemus was beating a servant when Licymnius ran between the two, suffering a fatal blow,
—but
Pindar states that the death was intentional and motivated by anger.
Accompanied by his
Argive wife Polyxo,
[John Tzetzes on Lycophron, Alexandra 911 calls her "Philozoe" (Φιλοζώη)] Tlepolemus made passage to Rhodes and divided the island into three parts, founding three Rhodian city-states:
Kameiros,
Ialysus and
Lindos.
[Cf. Iliad 2.655–6, where Tlepolemus leads "those who dwell Rhodes, ordered in three parts: Lindos, Ialysus and shining Cameirus" (οἳ Ῥόδον ἀμφενέμοντο διὰ τρίχα κοσμηθέντες | Λίνδον Ἰηλυσόν τε καὶ ἀργινόεντα Κάμειρον).]
Hyginus lists Tlepolemus among the suitors of Helen;[Hyginus, Fabulae 81] thus bound by the oath of Tyndareus, he was among the Greek allies in the campaign against Troy, leading a force of nine ships.
He encountered Sarpedon on the first day of fighting recounted in the Iliad and taunted him saying that he lacked courage and could not really be the son of Zeus.[Homer, Iliad 5.633–46] Tlepolemus then attacked him, and although he wounded Sarpedon, he was slain by the latter.
According to Pausanias, Polyxo killed Helen to avenge for her husband's death,
Notes
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Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
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Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
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Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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Hesiod, Catalogue of Women from Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914. Online version at theio.com
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Homer, Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Homer, Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. . Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
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Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Pindar, Odes translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Pindar, The Odes of Pindar including the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
