SARPEDON (son of Zeus and Europa)

Sarpedon disputed the royal power of Crete with his brother Minos and was defeated and driven out of the island.^1,2,10 He fled from Crete along with the Lycians and moved to the Milyan land in Asia.^10,11 There, he led a Cretan colony to settle in Lycia, conquered the surrounding areas, and gathered a large army of chosen Lycian men.^12,4 During his rule, the people were called Termilae, a name he imposed upon them, replacing their previous identities.^13,14,4 Lycus joined him in the land of the Termilae, and Sarpedon governed many populous cities within his domain.^14,5 He formed an alliance with Cilix during his conflict with the Lycians and agreed to receive a portion of the land as part of his agreement.¹³

Zeus granted Sarpedon the ability to live for three generations without aging or wasting away with old age.^13,5 He came from Lycia to fight in the battle alongside Glaucus, leading the Lycian forces as allies to the Trojans.^15,3,5 Sarpedon led his men in skilled and bitter warfare, excelling alongside Hector and bringing woes upon the Danaans.⁵ Together with Hector, he broke down the wall, and he pulled down a section of it to create a gap for troops.^5,16 In the heat of combat, he struck and killed Alcmaon, son of Thestor, with his spear.¹⁶ When his companion Glaucus withdrew from the battle, Sarpedon felt deep sorrow but continued fighting despite his grief.¹⁶

Tlepolemus also claimed Sarpedon was not like the children of Zeus, but Sarpedon killed him by piercing his throat with a spear.^3,17 Zeus sent Sarpedon to Troy, where he asked to die within the city's walls because he could not return home.^18,5 He mentioned his infant son as someone he would have gladdened had he returned home, and he requested Hector to prevent him from being captured by the Danaans.¹⁸ His companions removed him from the battlefield while he suffered from a spear wound that remained lodged in his thigh because they were too hurried to extract it.¹⁸ Zeus sent a star from heaven to signal Sarpedon's return, which he recognized as a sign from his father, and his father prevented his death despite the severe wound.^5,17

Patroclus took the spear, helmet, and shield from Sarpedon after the battle.¹⁹ Epeigeus fell face down onto the body of Sarpedon while dying.²⁰ Sarpedon was succeeded in the kingship of Lycia by his son Euandrus, who was the son of this Sarpedon.¹² He is expected to pass the gates of Hades, yet his name lives on in the speech of men through tales of sounding song.^3,21 A sandy tomb located near the surging waves marks his final resting place, and promontories in various locations are named after him.^{22,23,24,25,26}