Idas
Strongest of the Argonauts, who kidnapped his bride from Apollo and later died fighting the Dioscuri.
The Legend of Idas
He threatened Apollo with a drawn bow — and won. When Apollo tried to steal his bride Marpessa, Idas drew his bow against the god. Zeus himself had to intervene, and he let Marpessa choose. She chose Idas over Apollo, reasoning that a mortal husband would age with her while a god would abandon her when her beauty faded. On the Argo, Idas was the strongest crew member after Heracles. He and his brother Lynceus later quarreled with Castor and Polydeuces over cattle. Idas killed Castor with a spear, and Zeus killed Idas with a thunderbolt — the mortal who had once defied Apollo finally met a god he could not outface.
Parents
Aphareus, Arene
Symbols
Explore Further
Diomedes
🗡 heroKing of Argos who wounded gods
Diomedes was the only mortal in the Iliad to wound two Olympian gods in a single day.
Peleus
🗡 heroMortal who married a goddess
The king of Phthia who wrestled and won the sea-nymph Thetis, fathering Achilles — the greatest warrior of the Trojan War.
Marpessa
🗡 herochoice
Mortal woman who chose the hero Idas over Apollo, fearing a god would abandon her in old age.
Peleus
🗡 heroheroism
King of Phthia, Argonaut, and father of Achilles who wrestled the shape-shifting sea goddess Thetis to win her as his bride.
Atalanta
🗡 heroThe virgin huntress who outran every suitor
The swift-footed huntress who drew first blood against the Calydonian Boar and was only beaten in a footrace by divine trickery.
Sarpédon
🗡 heroSon of Zeus who died at Troy
Sarpedon was a son of Zeus and the greatest Lycian warrior at Troy — his death forced Zeus to confront the limits of even divine power.
Menelaus
🗡 heroKing of Sparta, husband of Helen
Menelaus was the king of Sparta whose stolen wife Helen was the cause of the Trojan War — yet he survived the war, the return, and old age, a rare happy ending among Greek heroes.
Iphidamas
🗡 heroYouth, marriage, combat
Young Trojan warrior who left his bride to fight at Troy and was killed by Agamemnon
Leodes
🗡 heroNone recorded
Reluctant suitor and sacrificial priest who failed to string Odysseus' bow
Diomedes
🗡 heroThe hero who wounded two Olympian gods in a single day
The king of Argos who fought at Troy with such ferocity that he wounded both Aphrodite and Ares — becoming one of the only mortals to injure gods.
Ajax
🗡 heroThe immovable warrior who held the Greek line
The massive warrior from Salamis who carried a shield like a tower wall and held the Greek line when every other defender broke.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroThe hero who tamed Pegasus
The Corinthian hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera, but fell from heaven when he tried to reach Olympus.