Greek Mythology Notes
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Teucer

hero
Τεῦκρος
Greatest Greek archer at Troy

Teucer was the half-brother of Ajax the Great and the finest archer among the Greeks — he shot from behind Ajax's great shield, the most effective partnership at Troy.

The Myth

Teucer was the illegitimate son of Telamon and the Trojan princess Hesione. He fought by crouching behind Ajax's tower shield, darting out to shoot, then retreating behind its protection. He killed many Trojans but could never hit HectorApollo kept deflecting his arrows. After the war, his father Telamon exiled him for failing to prevent Ajax's suicide. Teucer sailed to Cyprus and founded the city of Salamis, named after his homeland.

Parents

Telamon and Hesione

Symbols

bowAjax's shieldarrowsSalamis

Fun Fact

Teucer founded Salamis in Cyprus — naming his new city after the island he could never return to. A persistent theme in Greek colonisation.

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