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Greek Mythology Notes

Glaukos of Lykia

🗡 heroΓλαῦκος
Honour, Lycian alliance

Lycian commander and grandson of Bellerophon who famously exchanged armour with Diomedes on the batt‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍lefield

The Legend of Glaukos of Lykia

Glaukos of Lykia was the son of Hippolochus and grandson of the great hero Bellerophon.‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‍​‍​‍ He co-commanded the Lycian contingent alongside his kinsman Sarpedon, and they were among Troy's most important allies. During the fighting, Glaukos encountered the Greek champion Diomedes in no-man's-land. Rather than fight, the two discovered that their grandfathers had been bound by guest-friendship. They exchanged armour as a sign of this bond, though Homer notes with irony that Glaukos gave gold armour worth a hundred oxen for Diomedes' bronze worth only nine. After Sarpedon was killed by Patroclus, Glaukos was overcome with grief and prayed to Apollo to heal a wound so he could recover the body. He fought on and was eventually killed by Ajax during the final battles.

Parents

Hippolochus

Symbols

gold armourspear

Fun Fact

Glaukos traded gold armour worth a hundred oxen for bronze worth nine, which Homer calls one of history's worst bargains

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