Editing Iolaus

{{Short description|Nephew of Heracles in Greek mythology}}
{{for|the butterfly genus|Iolaus (butterfly){{!}}''Iolaus'' (butterfly)}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = Greek
| member_of = 
| image = Hercules and Iolaus mosaic - Anzio Nymphaeum.jpg
| caption = Heracles and his nephew, Iolaus. 1st century BC mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum, [[Rome]].
| name = Iolaus
| offspring = [[Leipephilene]]
| consort = [[Megara (mythology)|Megara]]
| parents = [[Iphicles]] and [[Automedusa (mythology)|Automedusa]]
| deity_of = Charioteer of [[Heracles]]
| abode = [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]]
}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Iolaus''' ({{IPAc-en|aɪ|oʊ|'|l|eɪ|ə|s}}; [[Ancient Greek]]: Ἰόλαος ''Iólāos'') was a [[Thebes, Greece|Theban]] divine hero. He was famed for being [[Heracles]]' charioteer and squire, and for helping with some of his [[Labours of Hercules|Labors]], as well as for being one of the [[Argonauts]].

== Family ==
Iolaus was the son of [[Iphicles]] and [[Automedusa (mythology)|Automedusa]], daughter of King [[Alcathous of Megara|Alcathous]] of [[Megara]]. According to [[Plutarch]], Heracles gave his wife, [[Megara (mythology)|Megara]], age thirty three, to Iolaus, then only sixteen years old.<ref>Plutarch, ''Moralia'' "The Dialogue on Love / ''Erotikos'' / ''Amatoria''", Loeb, IX, [https://archive.org/details/plutarchs-moralia-vol.-9-loeb-425/page/n181/mode/2up p.339]</ref> According to Pausanias, who cites Hesiod as the source, they had a daughter, [[Leipephilene]],<ref>Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:9.40 9.40.5-6].</ref> though the name is corrupt and has been amended by various editors to "Leipephile" (Λειπεφίλη), "Hippophile" (Ἱπποφίλη) or "Deiphile" (Δηιφίλη).<ref>''[[Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft]]'', Band VA, Halbband 10, Thapsos-Thesara (1934), s. 2444, s. v. ''Thero''</ref> Through this daughter, Iolaus was considered to have fathered the mythic and historic line of the kings of [[Corinth]], ending with [[Bacchiadae|Telestes]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

[[Image:Heracles, Iolaus and Eros - Cista Ficoroni foot.jpg|thumb|200px|Repoussé and engraved relief of Hercules (right), [[Eros]] (center) and Iolaus (left) on the Ficoroni cista.{{Citation needed|date=April 2019}}<br>4th century BC [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] ritual vessel]]

== Mythology ==

=== Relationship with Heracles ===
Iolaus often acted as Heracles' charioteer and companion. Plutarch, describing the [[Thebes, Greece|Theban]] [[Sacred Band of Thebes|Sacred Band]] in his life of [[Pelopidas]], said "It is a tradition likewise that Iolaus, who assisted Hercules in his labours and fought at his side, was beloved of him; and Aristotle observes that, even in his time, lovers plighted their faith at Iolaus's tomb."<ref>{{Cite book |last=[[Plutarch]] |url=http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/pelopida.html |title=Pelopidas |location= |translator-last=Dryden |translator-first=John |orig-year=75}}</ref><ref>Crompton, Louis, ''Homosexuality and Civilization'', Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TfBYd9xVaXcC&pg=PA123 p. 123].</ref>

Plutarch also described Heracles' male lovers in the ''Amatorius'', saying there were too many too count, but that Iolaus and [[Admetus of Pherae|Admetus]] were two of the most notable. He said that Iolaus was honored by many for this love, and that it was popular for lovers to make reciprocal vows of affection at his tomb.<ref>[[Plutarch]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0314%3Asection%3D17 ''Amatorius'' 17]. Translated by Bernardakis, Gregorius N.</ref>

===Adventures===
Iolaus provided essential help to Heracles in his battle against the [[Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]], his second [[The Twelve Labours|labor]]. Seeing that Heracles was being overwhelmed by the multi-headed monster (the Lernaean Hydra), who grew two heads in place of each one cut off, Iolaus helped by [[Cauterization|cauterizing]] each neck as Heracles beheaded it.

According to [[Diodorus Siculus]], Iolaus was sent by [[Heracles]] to [[Sardinia]], together with nine of the sons that he had with the fifty daughters of [[Thespius]] (the [[Thespiades]]), to colonize the island, giving rise to the [[Iolei]] people.<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], book IV, 29–30.</ref>

Iolaus and the Thespians were buried in Sardinia.{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

[[Aristotle]] said that Sardinia had practiced the rite of [[Incubation (ritual)|incubation]], which is the liberation ritual of the people who were affected by [[nightmares]] and obsessions. These rituals included that the persons suffering from nightmares should sleep next to the tombs of heroes.<ref>[[Aristotle]], ''[[Physics (Aristotle)|Physics]]'', IV.</ref>

[[Simplicius of Cilicia]] adds, in the eight books of the Commentaries [[Aristotle]], that "the places where they were deposited and preserved corpses of the nine heroes that Heracles got from the Thespians and who came to Sardinia with the colony of Iolaus, became the famous oracles."<ref>Simplicius, book IV.</ref>

[[Gaius Julius Solinus|Solinus]] says: "The [[Iolei|Iolians]], so named by him (Iolaus), added a temple to his tomb, because he had freed Sardinia from many ills".<ref>[[Gaius Julius Solinus|Solinus]], I-16:'' Iolenses ab eo dicti sepulcro eius templum addiderunt quod ... Malis plurimis Sardiniam liberasset''.</ref>

== Legacy ==
The Theban [[Gymnasium (ancient Greece)|gymnasium]] was named after Iolaus because it was next to his tomb and the [[Heracleia (festival)|Heracleia]], an annual festival in honor of Heracles, was held there, hence also known as ''Iolaeia'', ''Iolaia'' or ''Iolaea'' ({{langx|el|Ιολάεια}}), an athletic festival consisting of gymnastic and equestrian events.<ref>[[Pindar]], [[Olympian 9|''Olympian Ode'' IX]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0162%3Abook%3DO.%3Apoem%3D9 95]</ref> The victors at the ''Iolaea'' were crowned with garlands of [[Myrtus communis|myrtle]].<ref>Pindar, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Pind.%20I.%204&lang=original ''Isthmian Ode'' IV].</ref>

A genus of [[Lycaenidae|Lycaenid]] butterfly has been [[Iolaus (butterfly)|named after him]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2025}}

An [[exoplanet]] around star HAT-P-42 (now named [[Lerna]]) is named after him as part of the [[IAU]]'s [[NameExoWorlds]] project.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Approved names |url=http://www.nameexoworlds.iau.org/final-results |access-date=2019-12-17 |website=NameExoworlds |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Hylas]]
* [[Norax]]
* [[Sardus]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline}}

[[Category:Argonauts]]
[[Category:Male lovers of Heracles]]
[[Category:Mythological Thebans]]
[[Category:Theban mythology]]
[[Category:Mythology of Heracles]]