Editing Hesione

{{Short description|Name of several Greek mythological figures}}
{{Other uses|Hesione (mythology)}}
[[File:Casa di Ottavio Quartione, Pompeya, Italia, 2016 05.jpg|thumb|280px|The marriage of [[Telamon]] and Hesione or Hesione's farewell to her brother [[Priam]] under the attention of [[Heracles]] and Telamon on the right, detail of fresco from the triclinium of the House of Octavius Quartio at [[Pompeii]]]]
[[File:HerculesHesione.jpg|thumb|Heracles saves Hesione from the sea monster; 15th-century miniature]]
In [[Greek mythology]] and later art, the name '''Hesione''' ([[Help:IPA/English|/hɪˈsaɪ.əniː/]]; [[Ancient Greek]]: Ἡσιόνη) refers to various mythological figures, of whom the [[Troy|Trojan]] princess Hesione is most known.

==Mythology==
[[File:AGERNSHEIMIG 10313152530.jpg|thumbnail|François-Alexandre Verdier]]

According to the ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', the most prominent Hesione was a [[Troy|Trojan]] princess, daughter of King [[Laomedon]] of [[Troy]], sister of [[Priam]] and second wife of King [[Telamon]] of [[Salamis Island|Salamis]]. The first notable myth Hesione is cited in is that of Hercules, who saves her from a sea monster. However, her role becomes significant many years later when she is described as '''a potential trigger of the Trojan War.<ref>
Schwab, G. p. 315
</ref>'''

[[Apollo]] and [[Poseidon]] were angry at King Laomedon because he refused to pay the wage he promised them for building Troy's walls. Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon a sea monster to destroy Troy.<ref name=AH34>Smith, p. 34</ref> Oracles promised deliverance if Laomedon would expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured by the sea monster [[Cetus (mythology)|Cetus]] (in other versions, the lot happened to fall on her) and he exposed her by fastening her naked to the rocks near the sea.<ref name=AH34 /> [[Heracles]], [[Telamon]], and [[Oicles]] happened to arrive on their return from the expedition against the [[Amazons]]. Seeing her exposed, Heracles promised to save her on condition that Laomedon would give him the wonderful horses he had received from [[Zeus]] as compensation for Zeus' kidnapping of [[Ganymede (mythology)|Ganymede]].<ref name=AH34 /> Laomedon agreed, and Heracles slew the monster. In some accounts, after being swallowed by it, he hacked at its innards for three days before it died. He emerged, having lost all his hair. However, Laomedon refused to give him the promised award.

In a later expedition, Heracles attacked Troy, slew Laomedon and all of Laomedon's sons except the youngest, Podarces.<ref name=AH38>Smith, p. 38</ref> Heracles gave Laomedon's daughter Hesione as a prize to Telamon instead of keeping her for himself.<ref>Smith, pp. 38, 65</ref> He allowed her to take with her any captives that she wished; she chose her brother Podarces. Heracles allowed her to ransom him in exchange for her veil. Therefore, Podarces henceforth became known as [[Priam]], from [[ancient Greek]] πρίασθαι priasthai, meaning "to buy".<ref>Smith, p. 39</ref> Heracles then bestowed the government of Troy on Priam. However, it is also claimed that Priam simply happened to be absent campaigning in Phrygia during Heracles' attack on Troy.

Hesione was taken home by Telamon, married him, and bore him a son, [[Teucer|Teucros]],<ref>Smith, p. 65</ref> half-brother to Telamon's son from his first marriage, [[Ajax the Great|Ajax]]. Alternatively, she became pregnant with [[Trambelus]] while still on board the ship and then escaped; it is also possible, though, that the mother of Trambelus was not Hesione, but a certain [[Theaneira]].<ref>[[John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]] ad [[Lycophron]], [https://topostext.org/work/860#467 467] & [https://topostext.org/work/860#469 469]</ref>{{AI-generated source|date=November 2024}}

Many years later, when Hesione was an old woman, Priam sent [[Antenor (mythology)|Antenor]] and [[Anchises]] to Greece to demand Hesione's return, but they were rejected and driven away. Priam then sent [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]] and [[Aeneas]] to retrieve her, but Paris got sidetracked and instead brought back [[Helen of Troy|Helen]], queen of [[Sparta]] and wife of [[Menelaus]]. Priam was ultimately willing to accept the abduction of Helen, due to the Greeks' refusal to return Hesione.

===Spurious references===
The name Hesione in [[Dictys Cretensis]] 4.22 appears to be an error for Plesione of Dictys 1.9 and that in turn an error for [[Pleione (mythology)|Pleione]].

== See also ==
{{portal|Ancient Greece|Mythology}}

Similar tales of a hero saving a love interest from a monster:

* [[Perseus]] and [[Andromeda (mythology)|Andromeda]]
* [[Eurybarus]] and [[Alcyoneus (son of Diomos)|Alcyoneus]]
* [[Menestratus (Thespiae)|Menestratus]] and [[Cleostratus (mythology)|Cleostratus]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Hesione}}
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}

== Bibliography ==
*{{cite book|title=Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology|author1=Apollodorus|author-link=Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|author2=Hyginus|author2-link=Gaius Julius Hyginus|others=R. Scott Smith (translator)|year=2007|publisher=Hackett|isbn=978-0872208209}}
* Schwab, G. (2001). Gods and Heroes of Ancient Greece. New York: Pantheon Books.

[[Category:Princesses in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Queens in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Trojans]]
[[Category:Damsels in distress]]
[[Category:Mythology of Heracles]]
[[Category:Human sacrifice in folklore and mythology]]
[[Category:Greek mythological slaves]]