Diomedes

Diomedes (1229 BC-) was King of Argos from 1215 BC, succeeding Adrastus. He was renowned as a valiant and pious warrior during the Trojan War, winning the favor of the goddess Athena while defeating the Trojan heroes Hector and Aeneas (and even the god Ares) in battle. He was known to have never committed the sin of hubris against the gods.

Biography[]

Diomedes was the son of the Aetolian Tydeus and the Argive Deipyle. Tydeus was killed while fighting as one of the "Seven Against Thebes", and the four-year old Diomedes and the six other sons of the Seven swore vengeance at their fathers' funerals. Ten years later, these "Epigoni" led the Mycenaean armies of Messenia, Arcadia, Corinthia, and Megaris against Thebes, and the Theban king Laodamas was slain in battle at Glisas; however, one of the Epigoni, Aegialeus, was also killed. His father, King Adrastus of Argos, died of heartbreak upon hearing of his son's death, and Diomedes - the last of Adrastus' male descendants - was made the new king. He brought much wealth and stability to the city-state, and he was later one of Helen's suitors.

Trojan War[]

When the Trojan War broke out, Diomedes contributed 80 ships, and, among the Achaeans, he was considered second in martial prowess only to Achilles. He once defeated Aeneas in battle, but he did not finish him. He gained the reputation of being an immortal after defeating the famed Trojan warrior Hector and even the god Ares in battle. He then stole the Palladium statue of athena from the city and stopped a jealous Odysseus from killing him, However, he was unable to gain access to its charms due to the manner in which he seized it, and he was forced to return it to Aeneas to avoid several misfortunes in the future. Diomedes later took part in the Trojan Horse stratagem and personally slew several Trojan soldiers.

Magna Graecia[]

After the war, he was one of the few Achaean leaders to return home safely, as he had the favor of the gods during his journey. However, his wife attempted to kill him after he discovered that she was having an affair with the son of his comrade Sthenelus, forcing him to flee Argos with Sthenelus. He then migrated to Aetolia and then to Apulia, where he aided the Daunians against the Messapians and married the Daunian king Daunus' daughter Euippe. During his time in Italy, he founded the Magna Graecian cities of Argyrippa (Arpi), Aequum Tuticum (Ariano Irpino), Beneventum (Benevento), Brundisium (Brindisi), Canusium (Canosa), Venafrum (Venafro), Salapia, Spina, Garganum, Sipus (Santa Maria di Siponto), Histonium (Vasto), Drione (San Severo), and Venusia (Venosa). When war broke out between Aeneas and Turnus in Latium, Diomedes refused to fight against his old enemy, telling Turnus that he had killed enough Trojans and merely desired to live in peace. He died in his Italian city of Urium, causing albatrosses to gather and sing a song in his honor; the family name for albatrosses (Diomedea) came from him. He was supposedly granted immortality by Athena, and he was worshipped as a god in southern Italy.