Telephus
heroSon of Heracles and Auge, king of Mysia, who was wounded by Achilles and could only be healed by the same spear.
The Myth
The weapon that wounded him was the only thing that could heal him — Achilles's spear contained its own antidote. Telephus fought the Greeks when they mistakenly invaded Mysia thinking it was Troy. Achilles wounded him with his Pelian ash spear, and the wound would not close. An oracle told Telephus that the wounder must be the healer. He traveled to the Greek camp disguised as a beggar and threatened to kill the infant Orestes unless Achilles helped. Odysseus realized the oracle meant the spear itself, not Achilles — rust from the weapon was applied and the wound healed. In gratitude, Telephus guided the fleet to Troy.
Parents
Heracles, Auge
Children
Symbols
Fun Fact
The principle that the wounder must heal became a homeopathic concept — similia similibus curantur.
Explore Further
Eurypylus of Mysia
heroSon of Telephus who led a Mysian army to Troy as the last major reinforcement and was killed by...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...
Achilles
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Heracles (Labours)
heroHeracles performed twelve seemingly impossible labours as penance for killing his family in a...
Odysseus
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Odysseus (Trickster)
heroOdysseus was the most cunning of all Greek heroes — the man of polytropos (many turns), whose...
Orestes
heroOrestes killed his mother to avenge his father — then was acquitted by Athena's court.
Machaon
heroSon of Asclepius and chief surgeon of the Greek army at Troy, killed by Eurypylus son of Telephus.
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Hera Teleia
godAn epithet of Hera as goddess of marriage and its fulfilment, worshipped as the divine model of the...
Troy
placeThe legendary city in Asia Minor besieged by the Greeks for ten years in the Trojan War. Troy's...
Troy (Hisarlik)
placeHisarlik in Turkey is the archaeological site identified as Homer's Troy — multiple cities layered...