TALTHYBIUS (herald of Agamemnon)
Figure of myth · herald of Agamemnon
- Haunts and cult places
- Aegium
- In the sources
- 38 ancient passages
Talthybius, the trusted messenger, squire, and herald serving Agamemnon, possessed a voice that sounded like that of a god.1,2,3 Accounts differ regarding his origin, identifying him as a Thessalian, Phthian, or Cadmean figure, yet he is described as an honourable man who served both gods and men.4,5 His descendants hold the exclusive right to conduct Spartan embassies.1
Agamemnon ordered Talthybius to select a boar from the army for sacrifice to Zeus and the sun.6,7 He held the boar while Agamemnon drew his cutlass, and later spun the carcass around his head before throwing it into the sea as part of an oath ritual.6,8,9 When Menelaus was wounded by an arrow, Agamemnon instructed Talthybius to summon Machaon, and the herald went about the host trying to find the healer.10,11 He also retrieved a lamb from the ships as ordered by Agamemnon for further sacrificial needs.6,12
As the war progressed, Talthybius frequently traveled between the Achaean army and Troy, arriving to carry new messages for the Trojan women.13 He informed Andromache that the Greek leaders had decreed the death of her son, reporting that Odysseus proposed the child be thrown from Troy's walls.14 With a soul lacking the ruthlessness required for such tasks, he physically took the child away and instructed him to climb the tower to die.15 He later entered carrying the corpse of Astyanax on Hector's shield, having crossed the Scamander river to wash the body and clean its wounds.16,17 He explained that Andromache had wept while saying goodbye to Hector's tomb and had requested the child be buried in the shield instead of a coffin.17
Talthybius also delivered a message from Hecuba to Agamemnon, begging that no Argive touch her daughter's body and instructing him to keep the crowd away from the corpse.18,19 Signaled by the son of Achilles, he stood at his side and commanded the Achaean army to be silent and still, successfully hushing them.20 He reported that Neoptolemus had already sailed away to Phthia after hearing about Peleus's banishment, and that Achilles' son had taken Andromache as a chosen prize.17,4
In later events, Talthybius commanded the Greek captains to ignite the city of Ilium and ordered the Trojan men to proceed to the Achaean ships upon hearing the trumpet.21 He used his staff to separate Ajax and Hector from their close combat, acting as the Achaean representative alongside Idaeus.5 His anger was directed at ambassadors and the Lacedaemonians, vented upon the sons of men who tried to appease the king, and persisted until it was fully satisfied.1,22 A grave for Talthybius is located in the market-place at Aegium.23,24
The codex facts behind this entry
Talthybius is identified as a trusted messenger, squire, and herald serving Agamemnon. Herodotus 7.134.1 +4 Talthybius is the herald serving the army of the Danaids. Euripides, Hecuba 484-517 +1
In the myths
Talthybius brought a boar to Agamemnon, who had ordered him to select one from the army for sacrifice. Athenaeus 14.79 +2 Agamemnon instructed Talthybius to summon Machaon to treat Menelaus, who had been wounded by an arrow. Iliad 4 ¶15 +1 Talthybius was present at the tomb when Polyxena was sacrificed, standing near the son of Achilles, and stated that her fate sets her free from trouble. Euripides, Hecuba 518-552 +1 Talthybius spun the boar's carcass around his head before throwing it into the sea to feed the fish as part of an oath ritual. Iliad 19 ¶20 +1 Talthybius delivered a message from Hecuba to Agamemnon begging that no Argive touch her daughter's body and instructing him to keep the crowd away from the corpse. Euripides, Hecuba 585-628 +1 Talthybius retrieved a lamb from the ships as ordered by Agamemnon. Athenaeus 14.79 +1
