Heracles seduced the priestess Auge in Athena's temple at Tegea. Their son Telephus was exposed as an infant but survived, suckled by a deer, and eventually became king of Mysia.
Telephus killed Thersander at Mysia when the Greek fleet mistakenly landed there during its first, failed voyage to Troy.
Achilles wounded Telephus with his spear during the Greek landing at Mysia. An oracle declared only the wounder could heal the wound, and rust scraped from Achilles' spear cured Telephus, who then guided the Greek fleet to Troy.
Telephus came disguised as a beggar to Agamemnon's camp at Argos seeking a cure for his wound. He seized Agamemnon's infant son Orestes as leverage to compel the Greeks to heal him.
Dionysus caused a vine to grow and entangle Telephus's feet during the battle at Mysia, punishing him for neglecting the god's rites and allowing Achilles to wound him.
Odysseus devised the cure for Telephus's wound, interpreting the oracle to mean that Achilles's spear itself — not Achilles — was the \"wounder,\" and scraping rust from its blade onto the wound.
In Euripides' lost play and later sources, Telephus seized the infant Orestes from his mother's arms and threatened to kill him, forcing the Greeks to agree to heal his wound.
Telephus married Astyoche, daughter of Priam, making him the Trojan king's son-in-law. This alliance led Telephus to refuse to fight against Troy even after guiding the Greeks there.
After being healed by the Greeks, Telephus guided their fleet to the Trojan War in exchange, though he refused to fight against the Trojans because his wife was a daughter of Priam.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more