Polydeuces
Family: Argonauts · Role: hero · First appears: Book I 1
In Book I, Polydeuces is sent from Sparta by Leda alongside Castor, “these her dearly-loved sons she bare at one birth.” He is also connected by parentage with Tyndareus and Zeus, and Castor is both his sibling and friend.
In Book II, Polydeuces stands forth as his comrades’ champion against Amycus, defeats him in boxing, and kills Itymoneus and Mimas. After his victory, the Mariandyni welcome him as a god, and Lycus receives him and the Argonauts with friendly feeling. In Book IV, the speaking beam commands Polydeuces and Castor to pray for a path to Circe, who must purge the guilt of Apsyrtus’s murder.
Relationship record
Life events
- Polydeuces defeats Amycus in boxing, breaking his skull and killing him.(Book II 1)
- With: Amycus
- “and coming near and slipping his knee past the king’s, with a rush he struck him above the ear, and broke the bones inside, and the king in agony fell upon his knees; and the Minyan heroes shouted for joy; and his life was poured forth all at once.”
- Polydeuces kills Itymoneus by striking him beneath the breast with his foot.(Book II 1)
- With: Itymoneus
- “Polydeuces slew huge Itymoneus and Mimas. The one, with a sudden leap, he smote beneath the breast with his swift foot and threw him in the dust;”
- Polydeuces kills Mimas by striking above his eyebrow and tearing away his eye.(Book II 1)
- With: Mimas
- “as the other drew near he struck him with his right hand above the left eyebrow, and tore away his eyelid and the eyeball was left bare.”
- The Mariandyni welcome Polydeuces as a god after his victory over Amycus.(Book II 6)
- With: Lycus
- “And Polydeuces himself they welcomed as a god, flocking from every side”
- The speaking beam foretold that Circe must purge Apsyrtus’s murder and commanded prayers to find her.(Book IV 5)
- With: Castor Circe
- “For it proclaimed that they should not escape the paths of an endless sea nor grievous tempests, unless Circe should purge away the guilt of the ruthless murder of Apsyrtus; and it bade Polydeuces and Castor pray to the immortal gods first to grant a path through the Ausonian sea where they should find Circe, daughter of Perse and Helios.”