Meriones (mythology)

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

Meriones (mythology)

In Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the Ancient Greece concerning their List of Greek mythological figures#Immortals and Greek hero cult, Cosmology#Metaphysical cosmology, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices....
, Meriones was a son of Molus

Molus

Molus can mean:* the bastard son of Deucalion . Father, by Melphis, of Meriones who is one of the Achaean leaders [Apd.3.3.1; Dio.5.79.4; Hyg.Fab.97]....
and Melphis. Molus was a half-brother of Idomeneus. Like other heroes of mythology, Meriones was said to be a direct descendant of god

God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
s. As a grandson of Deucalion

Deucalion (disambiguation)

*Deucalion, son of Prometheus, survivor of the Deucalian Deluge.*Deucalion, son of Minos and Pasiphae, and apparently succeeded his older brother Catreus as King of Crete, father of Idomeneus....
(son of Minos

Minos

In Greek mythology, Minos was a mythical king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa . After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Greek Underworld....
), Meriones's ancestors include Zeus

Zeus

Zeus in Greek mythology is the king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky father and List of thunder gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull , and oak....
, Europa

Europa (mythology)

Europa was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the continent Europe has ultimately been taken. The story of her abduction by Zeus in the form of a white bull was a Cretan story, as K?roly Ker?nyi points out; "most of the love-stories concerning Zeus originated from more ancient tales describing his ma...
, Helios

Helios

Helios is the god of sun.In Greek mythology the sun was personified as Helios . Homer often calls him simply Titan or Hyperion , while Hesiod and the Homeric Hymn separate him as a son of the Titans Hyperion and Theia or Euryphaessa and brother of the goddesses Selene, the moon, and Eos, the dawn....
, and Circe

Circe

In Greek mythology, Circe , is a Queen goddess living on the island of Aeaea.Circe's father was Helios , the god of the sun and the owner of the land where Odysseus' men ate cattle, and her mother was Hecate the goddess of magic and the moon ; she was sister of two kings of Colchis, Aeetes and Perses, and of Pasipha?, mother of the Mino...
. Meriones possessed the helmet of Amyntor

Amyntor

Amyntor , was an ancient Greek name attributed to several people both mythological and historical....
, which had been initially stolen by Autolycus

Autolycus

In Greek mythology, Autolycus was a son of Hermes and Chione . He was the husband of Neaera, or according to Homer of Amphithea. Autolycus fathered Anticlea and several sons of whom only Aesimus is named....
. Meriones inherited the helmet from his father Molus and later gave it to Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greeks king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
.

lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m382736",this)' onMouseout='hide("m382736")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Gaius_Julius_Hyginus">Hyginus

Gaius Julius Hyginus

Gaius Julius Hyginus was a Latin author, though whether a native of Spain or of Alexandria it is not clear, a pupil of the famous Alexander Cornelius, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus, by whom he was made superintendent of the Palatine library, according to Suetonius' minor works, De Grammaticis, 20....
lists Meriones as one of the suitors of Helen

Helen

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Meriones (mythology)'

Start a new discussion about 'Meriones (mythology)'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

In Greek mythology

Greek mythology

Molus

God

God is a deity in theism and deism religions and other belief systems, representing either the sole deity in monotheism, or a principal deity in polytheism....
s. As a grandson of Deucalion

Deucalion (disambiguation)

Minos

In Greek mythology, Minos was a mythical king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa . After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Greek Underworld....
), Meriones's ancestors include Zeus

Zeus

Europa (mythology)

Helios

Circe

Amyntor

Amyntor , was an ancient Greek name attributed to several people both mythological and historical....
, which had been initially stolen by Autolycus

Autolycus

Odysseus

Prior to The Iliad

Hyginus

Gaius Julius Hyginus

Helen

In Greek mythology, Helen , better known as Helen of Sparta later Helen of Troy, was the daughter of Zeus and Leda , wife of King Menelaus of Sparta and sister of Castor and Pollux, Castor and Pollux and Clytemnestra....
. This would have made him oath bound to participate in the Trojan War. Other ancient authorities, however, do not include him in the list. Among these are Apollodorus

Apollodorus

Apollodorus of Athens son of Asclepiades, was a Greeks scholar and grammarian. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon, Panaetius, and the grammarian Aristarchus of Samothrace....
and Hesiod

Hesiod

Hesiod was a Greek language oral poet, his date is uncertain but leading scholars agree that Hesiod lived in the latter half of the Eighth-century BCE....
.

The Iliad

Though not usually numbered among the major characters

ILiad

The iLiad is an electronic handheld device, or e-book device, which can be used for document reading and editing. Like the Sony Reader or Amazon Kindle, the iLiad makes use of an electronic paper display....
, Meriones is a prominent character in Homer

Homer

Homer is traditionally held to be the author of the ancient Greek language epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as of the Homeric Hymns....
's Iliad
ILiad

The iLiad is an electronic handheld device, or e-book device, which can be used for document reading and editing. Like the Sony Reader or Amazon Kindle, the iLiad makes use of an electronic paper display....
. Meriones is mentioned in Books II, IV, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII. He is recorded to have killed Phereclus

Phereclus

In Greek mythology, Phereclus, son of Tecton, was the Shipbuilding who constructed the boat that Paris used to kidnap Helen., Meriones targeted him and killed him by ramming a spear into his right buttock....
the son of Tecton (Book V), Adamas

Adamas

Adamas or Adamantas is the harbor town of Milos island. It has a population of 1,100 people.Highlights:* The English/French cemetery,used in the years of the Crimean war and also in the two World Wars....
the son of Asius (Book XIII), Harpalion son of King Pylaemenes (Book XIII), Morys (Book XIV), Hippotion (Book XIV), Acamas

Acamas

Acamas was a name attributed to several characters in Greek mythology. The following three all fought in the Trojan War, and only the first was not mentioned by Homer....
(Book XVI), Laogonus son of Onetor (Book XVI), and wounded Deiphobus

Deiphobus

In Greek mythology, Deiphobus was a son of Priam and Hecuba. He was a prince of Troy, and the greatest of Priam's sons after Hector and Paris ....
son of Priam (Book XIII).

Book II

The first reference to Meriones in the Iliad is in the Catalog of Ships in Book II. There he is listed alongside Idomeneus as one of the leaders of the eighty ships from Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands and the List of islands in the Mediterranean largest island in the Mediterranean Sea at 8,336 km? ....
. He is described here and in Books VIII and XIII as a "peer of murderous Mars

Ares

In Greek mythology, Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera. Though often referred to as the Twelve Olympians God of warfare, he is more accurately the god of bloodlust, or slaughter personified: "Ares is apparently an ancient abstract noun meaning throng of battle, war."...
".

Book VII

Meriones is among those who volunteered to fight Hector

Hector

In Greek mythology, Hector , or Hektor, is a Troy prince and one of the greatest fighters in the Trojan War. He is the son of Priam and Hecuba, descendant of Dardanus, who lived under Mount Ida, and of Tros, the founder of Troy....
in single combat. The others were Agamemnon

Agamemnon

In Greek mythology, Agamemnon / is the son of King Atreus of Mycenae and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus and the husband of Clytemnestra; different mythological versions make him the king either of Mycenae or of Argos....
, Diomedes

Diomedes

Diomedes or Diomed is a hero in Greek mythology, mostly known for his participation in the Trojan War. He was born to Tydeus and Deipyle and later became King of Argos, succeeding his grandfather, Adrastus....
, Telamonian Ajax, Ajax the Lesser

Ajax the Lesser

Ajax was a Greeks Greek mythology hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris. He was called the "lesser" or "Locrian" Ajax, to distinguish him from Ajax , son of Telamon....
, Idomeneus, Eurypylus

Eurypylus

In Greek mythology, Eurypylus was the name of several different people....
(son of Euaemon), and Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus or Ulysses , in Greek mythology , was a legendary Greeks king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
. Lots were cast to determine who among these would fight and Telamonian Ajax was chosen.

Books IX and X

Meriones, along with Nestor

Nestor

Nestor may refer to:*Nestor , the son of Neleus, the King of Pylos and Chloris in Greek mythology*Nestor *Nestor , a genus of parrots in ornithology...
's son Thrasymedes

Thrasymedes

This page is on the sculptor Thrasymedes of Paros. For the mythological Greek captain of the Trojan Wars, see Thrasymedes .Thrasymedes of Paros was an Ancient Greece sculptor....
, were charged to serve as sentinel

Sentinel

*** More information @...
s for the Achaean army during a period of Trojan advance. Later that night, Nestor called for a volunteer spy among the captains and Diomedes stepped forward. A volunteer was then requested to join Diomededes and Meriones was among the volunteers. The two Ajaxes, Thrasymedes, Menelaus

Menelaus

Menelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria....
, and Odysseus also volunteered. Diomedes chose Odysseus. As Odysseus was inadequately armed, Meriones acquired a bow and arrows for him and gave him the helm of Amyntor.

Book XIII

After casting his spear at Deiphobus

Deiphobus

In Greek mythology, Deiphobus was a son of Priam and Hecuba. He was a prince of Troy, and the greatest of Priam's sons after Hector and Paris ....
, but failing to pierce his shield, Meriones returned to his tent to get a new spear. He met Idomeneus there:

Meriones grabbed a bronze spear and followed Idomeneus:

The two then went to reinforce the left flank where they perceived the Achaeans to be weakest, Meriones leading the way. The two battled against the Trojans, particularly Deiphobus and Aeneas

Aeneas

This article is about the Roman hero. For other uses, see Aeneas .In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Troy hero, the son of prince Anchises and the goddess Venus_....
. In retaliation for the death of Ascalaphus

Ascalaphus

In Greek mythology, two people share the name Ascalaphus .#Son of Acheron and Orphne. He told the other gods that Persephone had eaten a pomegranate in Hades....
, Meriones pierced Deiphobus in the shoulder with his spear. Gravely injured, Deiphobus was carried from the battlefield by his brother Polites

Polites

In Greek mythology, Polites referred to two different people, both of whom feature as minor characters in the epics by Homer.*Polites was a member Odysseus's crew....
. Meriones then killed Adamas

Adamas

Books XVII and XXIII

After the death of Patroclus

Patroclus

In Greek mythology, as recorded in the Iliad by Homer, Patroclus, or Patroklos , son of Menoetius , was Achilles? beloved comrade and, according to some , his lover....
, Menelaus called on Meriones and the two Ajaxes to defend the body while he sought Antilochus

Antilochus

In Greek mythology, Antilochus was the son of Nestor , king of Pylos. One of the suitors of Helen, he accompanied his father to the Trojan War....
to act as a messenger of the news to Achilles. Upon returning, Menelaus and Meriones carried Patroclus's body off the battlefield while the Ajaxes guarded them against further attack.

When the funeral pyre

Funeral Pyre

"Funeral Pyre" was the The Jam thirteenth single released on 6 June 1981. Backed by the B-side "Disguises", a cover of a The Who track, it reached #4 in the UK Singles chart....
for Patroclus was built, Meriones was given charge over the men sent by Agamemnon to all parts of the camp to get wood. They felled timber and brought it to the place where Achilles would later build the structure.

Meriones competed in chariot racing

Chariot racing

Chariot racing was one of the most popular Ancient Greece, Roman Empire and Byzantine empire sports. Chariot racing was often dangerous to both driver and horse?they frequently suffered serious injury and even death?but generated strong spectator enthusiasm....
at the funeral games. At the start he was fourth in line behind Antilochus, Eumelus, and Menelaus. Diomedes was fifth in line. Meriones placed fourth behind Diomedes, Antilochus, and Menelaus. He is described as having the slowest horses and being the worst driver of the lot. His prize was two talents of gold.

Meriones fared considerably better in the archery contest:

Agamemnon and Meriones both stood for the javelin throw

Javelin throw

The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the Javelin , a spear-like object made of metal, Glass-reinforced plastic and, in some cases, carbon fiber....
competition, but Achilles declared Agamemnon to be the greatest among javelin throwers. He proposed that Agamemnon take the cauldron prize and give Meriones the bronze spear. Agamemnon agreed.

After The Iliad

Meriones is considered to have been one of the forty soldiers who hid inside the Trojan Horse

Trojan Horse

The "Trojan Horse" refers to the stratagem that allowed the Greeks to finally enter the city of Troy during the Trojan War. In the best-known version of this Bronze Age story, after a fruitless 10-year siege of Troy, the Greeks built a huge figure of a horse, in which a select force of men hid....
which led to the sack of Troy.

Sources

Homer. The Iliad (Samuel Butler Translation - 1898), Wikisource.