Peleus
Family: Argonauts · Role: hero · First appears: Book I 1
In Book I, Peleus and Telamon, sons of Aeacus, settled separately in exile after they killed their brother Phoeus, who was also Peleus’s enemy. In Book I 4, Thetis showed Peleus their son Achilles, and during the mistaken night battle at Sacred Rock, Peleus slew Zelus and Gephyrus. In Book II, he addressed Argus son of Phrixus as a friend and urged him not to be fearful.
In Book IV, Peleus ordered an evasive embarkation with Jason, directing the heroes to leave by a passage the enemy did not guard and sail to the sacred isle of Electra. Hera gave Thetis to him as a husband, saying she had given her “the best of the sons of earth”; she also linked Medea to Peleus as a daughter-in-law and called for aid to both of them. At the Aeaean beach, Thetis instructed Peleus to depart at dawn and conceal her presence from the other heroes.
Later, Peleus interrupted Thetis as she tried to make Achilles immortal. She dropped the child, departed angrily into the sea, and did not return.
Relationship record
Life events
- Telamon and Peleus settle separately in exile after killing their brother Phoeus.(Book I 1)
- The heroes kill several Doliones during the mistaken night battle.(Book I 8 · 📍 Sacred Rock)
- Peleus orders an evasive embarkation, and the heroes sail to the sacred isle of Electra.(Book IV 4 · 📍 the sacred isle of Electra)
- With: Jason
- “I now bid you embark while it is still night, and take with your oars the passage opposite to that which the enemy guards”
- Hera gives Thetis Peleus as husband and celebrates their marriage.(Book IV 7)
- Thetis instructs Peleus to depart and conceal her presence from the other heroes.(Book IV 7 · 📍 Aeaean beach)
- With: Thetis
- “No longer now must ye stay sitting on the Tyrrhenian beach, but at dawn loosen the hawsers of your swift ship, in obedience to Hera, your helper.”
- Peleus interrupts Thetis’s attempt to make Achilles immortal, causing her angry departure.(Book IV 7)
- With: Thetis Achilles
- “But Peleus leapt up from his bed and saw his dear son gasping in the flame; and at the sight he uttered a terrible cry, fool that he was; and she heard it, and catching up the child threw him screaming to the ground, and herself like a breath of wind passed swiftly from the hall as a dream and leapt into the sea, exceeding wroth, and thereafter returned not again.”
Book I 1
- parent: Aeacus “After them came the sons of Aeacus”
- siblings with Telamon “After them came the sons of Aeacus, not both together, nor from the same spot”
- siblings with Phoeus “when in their folly they had slain their brother Phoeus”
- enemies with Phoeus “when in their folly they had slain their brother Phoeus”
Book I 4
- child: Achilles “And with him his wife, bearing Peleus’ son Achilles on her arm, showed the child to his dear father.”
Book I 8
- enemies with Zelus “and Peleus slew Zelus and Gephyrus swift in war.”
- enemies with Gephyrus “and Peleus slew Zelus and Gephyrus swift in war.”
Book II 7
- parent: Aeacus “Son of Aeacus, is it well for us to give up our toils and linger on in a strange land?”
Book II 10
- friends with Argus son of Phrixus “Be not so fearful in spirit, my good friend.”
Book III 4
- parent: Aeacus “So spake the son of Aeacus;”
Book IV 4
- parent: Aeacus (Peleus is identified as the son of Aeacus.) “Thus he spake; and the youths assented to the words of Aeacus’ son.”
Book IV 7
- married with Thetis “and she drew near and just touched the hand of Aeaeus’ son Peleus, for he was her husband”
- parent: Aeacus “and she drew near and just touched the hand of Aeaeus’ son Peleus”
- mentor: Thetis “No longer now must ye stay sitting on the Tyrrhenian beach, but at dawn loosen the hawsers of your swift ship, in obedience to Hera, your helper.”
- child: Achilles “But Peleus leapt up from his bed and saw his dear son gasping in the flame”
- with Hera (interaction) “But I gave thee the best of the sons of earth to be thy husband”
- younger kin: Medea “it is fated that he be the husband of Medea, Aeetes’ daughter; do thou aid thy daughter-in-law as a mother-in-law should, and aid Peleus himself.”
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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.