Classical Wisdom Litterae - April 2019

Ancient Anecdotes

Memnon: Man, Hero, andGod An often over-looked but very important Hero from the Trojan war was Memnon, an Ethiopian king and son of Tithonus and Eos. During the Trojan War, Memnon brought an army which was too large to count to Troy's defense.

Hephaestus. Zeus favors both of them and makes each man tireless and huge so that the whole battlefield can watch them clash as demigods. Eventually, Achilles stabs Memnon through the heart, causing his entire army to flee in terror.

As a warrior Memnon was considered to be almost Achilles' equal in skill and was declared by King Priam that he would be Troy's savior. Despite this, Memnon was very humble and warned that his strength will, he hopes, be seen in battle. The gods also looked favorably at the Ethiopian King. Indeed, so great was the divine love that Zeus makes all the other Olympians promise not to interfere in the fighting. The next day in fierce battle, Memnon kills Nestor’s son, Antilochus, and afterwards Nestor tries to fight the Ethiopian King, who refuses to engage with the elderly man (something that was greatly respected by the Ancient Greek warrior culture). When Memnon reaches the Greek ships, Nestor begs Achilles to fight him and avenge Antilochos, leading to the two men clashing while both wearing divine armor made by

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”, composed after “The Iliad” circa the 7th century BCE. 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 Ethiopians, 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." But Memnon’s legacy does not end there... in fact, in the Prologue of Snorri Sturluson's “Prose Edda”, a 13th century Norse piece of literature, Memnon is cited as the father of the Germanic God Thor!

Memnon in an engraving by Bernard Picart (1673–1733)

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