Memnon

For other uses, see Memnon (disambiguation).
Attic neck-amphora featuring Heracles and Memnon (detail), c. 530-520 BC
Eos retrieving the body of her son Memnon from the battlefield (detail); Etruscan Bronze mirror, c. 450–420 BC

In Greek mythology, Memnon (/ˈmɛmnən/; Ancient Greek: Μέμνων, lit. 'resolute'[1]) was a king of Aethiopia and son of Tithonus and Eos. As a warrior he was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill. During the Trojan War, he brought an army to Troy's defense and killed Antilochus, Nestor's son, during a fierce battle. Nestor challenged Memnon to a fight, but Memnon refused, being there was little honor in killing the aged man. Nestor then pleaded with Achilles to avenge his son's death. Despite warnings that soon after Memnon fell so too would Achilles, the two men fought. Memnon drew blood from Achilles, but Achilles drove his spear through Memnon's chest, sending the Aethiopian army running. The death of Memnon echoes that of Hector, another defender of Troy whom Achilles also killed out of revenge for a fallen comrade, Patroclus.

After Memnon's death, Zeus was moved by Eos' tears and granted him immortality. Memnon's death is related at length in the lost epic Aethiopis,[2] likely composed after The Iliad, circa the 7th century BC. Quintus of Smyrna records Memnon's death in Posthomerica. His death is also described in Philostratus' Imagines.

Dictys Cretensis, author of a pseudo-chronicle of the Trojan War, writes that "Memnon, the son of Tithonus and Aurora, arrived with a large army of Indians and Aethiopians, a truly remarkable army which consisted of thousands and thousands of men with various kinds of arms, and surpassed the hopes and prayers even of Priam."[3][4]

  1. ^ Graves, Robert (2017). The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition. Penguin Books Limited. p. 682. ISBN 978-0-241-98338-6.
  2. ^ Rengakos, Antonios (5 August 2015). "Aethiopis". Aethiopis: Published online by Cambridge University Press. Cambridge University Press. pp. 306–317. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511998409.019. ISBN 978-0-511-99840-9. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  3. ^ "digilibLT – Ephemeris belli Troiani". digilibLT. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
  4. ^ "Dictys Cretensis 4.4". Theoi Project: a site exploring Greek mythology and the gods in classical literature and art. 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2024.