LAOMEDON (Trojan king, son of Ilus)

Laomedon’s reign was marked by a growing conflict with the divine powers, beginning when he hired Apollo and Poseidon to build the walls of his rising city.^11,12,13 After the gods completed the wall with significant effort, Laomedon refused to pay the agreed wages of gold.^3,12,11 In his arrogance, he threatened to bind the deities and sell them to a distant island, even attempting to cut off their ears before sending them away with insults.¹² This perjury against the gods earned him a reputation for treachery, and he was later described as the father of perjured children.¹⁴ Apollo, who had favored the people of Laomedon, watched this disrespect with disapproval, while Poseidon became angry regarding the construction of the defences.^15,8

Calamities soon befell the land, including a sea monster that plagued the territory, prompting Laomedon to expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured to end the misery.^3,16,8 Heracles, who had promised to kill the monster in exchange for the mares given by Zeus, arrived to seek out Laomedon’s horses and attacked Troy while the king still ruled it.^3,17,18,4 When the negotiation failed, Heracles marched against the ships, killed Oicles in battle, and eventually repulsed Laomedon’s troops to besiege the city.¹⁹ Laomedon attempted to burn Heracles’ ships to end the war, but the hero sacked Ilius and destroyed its highways during the assault.^17,7

The conflict ended with the death of Laomedon, who was killed by Heracles during the battle that followed the failed negotiation.^19,17 The slayer stripped Laomedon of his bronze battle gear after the kill, marking the end of his reign.²⁰ Among his many children, including Tithonus, Priam, Lampus, Clytius, and Hiketaon, only Podarces was spared the fate of the royal line.^1,2,19 His son Priam, who had advised returning the mares, inherited the golden chalice from his father.^17,21,9 Hesione, Laomedon’s daughter, was given to Telamon as a prize by Heracles, linking the fallen king’s family to the heroes of the Argonauts.^19,22,17,23

Laomedon is remembered as a figure of hubris, a king who defied the gods and broke his word to men.^14,12 His possession of the mares promised to the Argonauts and his attempt to ambush them with the help of his sons further cemented his legacy of deceit.²⁴ Though the foundations of his city are described as gone, the name Laomedon endures in the lineage of Troy, as the grandfather of the speaker’s intended husband in some accounts.^25,26 He was also the father of Bucolion, his eldest son, and of Antigone, as well as the ancestor of the bird Aesacus.^27,28,29