Telamon

Family: Greeks · Role: father of Aias · First appears: Sophocles, Aias — Scene 1

In Sophocles’ Aias, Telamon is the father of Aias. When Aias entrusts Eurysakes to Teucer, he commands that the boy be taken home and presented to Telamon and Eriboea: “Home to my fatherland, and make him known / To Telamon, and Eriboea too.” Telamon is also named as Teucer’s father, and Teucer wonders whether he will receive him with favour on his return without Aias.

Before Aias left his father’s door, Telamon advised him to pursue victory with divine aid. Aias rejected that counsel, claiming he could win glory without the gods, and Calchas connects this pride with the wrath of Pallas. In Euripides’ Iphigenia In Aulis, Ajax is identified as Telamon’s son.

At Ilion, Telamon and Heracles are credited with conquering the city through their allied arms. After Aias’s death, Telamon banished Teucer from Salamis, leaving Teucer to say in Helen, “My father Telamon.”

Relationship record

Life events

• Aias entrusts Eurysakes to Teucer and commands him to take the boy to Telamon and Eriboea.(Sophocles, Aias — Scene 3)
  • With: Aias Teucer Eurysakes Eriboea
  • “I leave in Teucer. He'll not fail, though now He follow far the chase upon his foes. My trusty warriors, people of the sea, Be this your charge, no less,--and bear to him My clear commandment, that he take this boy Home to my fatherland, and make him known To Telamon, and Eriboea too, My mother.”
• Calchas reveals that Aias's pride defied Telamon and Pallas, provoking Pallas' wrath.(Sophocles, Aias — Scene 4)
  • With: Calchas Aias Athena
  • “And Aias, ere he left his father's door, Made foolish answer to his prudent sire. 'My son,' said Telamon, 'choose victory Always, but victory with an aid from Heaven.' How loftily, how madly, he replied! 'Father, with heavenly help men nothing worth May win success. But I am confident Without the Gods to pluck this glory down.'”
• Telamon and Heracles conquer Ilion with their allied arms.(Euripides, The Trojan Captives — Scene 6 · 📍 Ilion)
  • With: Heracles
  • “By your confederate arms was Ilion won, When from thy Greece thou cam’st our city to destroy.”
• Telamon banished Teucer from his native land after Ajax's death.(Euripides, Helen — Scene 1 · 📍 Salamis)
  • With: Teucer
  • “TEU. One of that miserable race the Greeks. HEL. No wonder is it then, if you detest The Spartan Helen. But to me declare, Who are you, whence, and from what father sprung? TEU. My name is Teucer, Telamon my sire; The land which nurtured me is Salamis. HEL. But wherefore do you wander o’er these meads Laved by the Nile? TEU. I from my native land Am banished. HEL. You, alas! must needs be wretched. Who drove you thence? TEU. My father Telamon.”

Sophocles, Aias — Scene 1

• child: Aias “AIAS, the son of Telamon.”

Sophocles, Aias — Scene 3

• child: Aias (Telamon is identified as Aias's father by context, while Eriboea is explicitly called his mother.) “How will he once endure to look on me, / Denuded of the prize of high renown, / Whose coronal stood sparkling on his brow? / ... / To Telamon, and Eriboea too, / My mother.”
• with Teucer (Aias assigns Teucer responsibility for tending Telamon in his old age.) “My trusty warriors, people of the sea, / Be this your charge, no less,--and bear to him / My clear commandment, that he take this boy / Home to my fatherland, and make him known / To Telamon, and Eriboea too, / My mother. Let him tend them in their age.”
• younger kin: Eurysakes (Aias identifies Eurysakes as his son and directs Teucer to present him to Telamon.) “Home to my fatherland, and make him known To Telamon, and Eriboea too, My mother.”

Sophocles, Aias — Scene 4

• child: Aias “'My son,' said Telamon, 'choose victory / Always, but victory with an aid from Heaven.'”

Sophocles, Aias — Scene 5

• child: Teucer “Will Telamon, my sire and thine, receive me With radiant countenance and favouring brow Returning without thee?”

Euripides, Iphigenia In Aulis — Scene 2

• child: Ajax (son of Telamon) “But I saw the two Ajaces companions, the son of Oileus, and the son of Telamon”

Euripides, The Trojan Captives — Scene 6

• with Heracles (They are identified as confederates in the conquest of Troy.) “With the famed archer, with Alcmena’s son Thou cam’st exulting with vindictive joy; By your confederate arms was Ilion won,”

Euripides, Helen — Scene 1

• child: Aias “My name is Teucer, Telamon my sire; ... My brother Ajax”

⭐ Character constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →

Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.