TEUCER (Trojan prince and archer)
Figure of myth · character in the Iliad
Teucer, son of Telamon and Hesione, was the brother of Ajax and the most skilled archer among the Achaean forces.1,2,3,4,5,6 A man who shook with anger, he positioned himself by the side of Ajax, who addressed him as 'my good fellow'.7,8,9 Clad in a helmet with a menacing horse-hair crest and a shield of four layers of hide, he carried a bow and a quiver into the battle.8,10,7 While some accounts identify him as the son of the river Scamander or a barbarian mother, the prevailing tradition names Telamon as his father and Salamis as his home.11,12,13,14,1,15
During the war at Troy, Teucer defended the wall, striking down numerous Trojan warriors with his precise aim.16,10,17 His arrows wounded Glaucus in the arm, forcing him to retreat, and he killed warriors including Orsilochus, Ormenus, and Aretaon.18,16,10,17,19 In one dramatic moment, Zeus broke his bowstring, causing him to miss Hector, though he later accidentally struck Hector’s charioteer Archeptolemus in the breast.7,20 He also engaged in close-quarters combat, holding a spear with a bronze tip and fighting hard in the center of the battle to protect the Atreid kings.8,6,21,22,23 Not heedless of the fallen brave, he shouted loudly upon seeing Machaon and Nireus lying in the dust, and felt grief when his comrade Hippomenes was killed.22,24
Following the death of Ajax, Teucer defended himself before Telamon, claiming he was not guilty, yet his father expelled him from their native city upon his return from Troy.1,25,26 Refusing to accept the judges' verdict regarding the contest for the arms, Teucer was further ostracized, with the Greeks calling him the brother of a maniac.27,13,28 Driven into exile, Teucer founded the city of Salamis in Cyprus, naming the island in honor of his fatherland.29,25,30 In this new home, he led an expedition in which some of his followers settled among the Gallicians.31
Teucer’s legacy extended beyond his military deeds, as he became an ancestor of Evagoras, King of Cyprus, and most priests in the area bore his name or that of Ajax.32,33 He is remembered as a famous bowman, a title that reflects his unmatched skill with the weapon.34,5,6
The codex facts behind this entry
Teucer was the son of Telamon. Iliad 13 ¶15 +3
Powers
Teucer was recognized as the most skilled archer among the Achaean forces. Iliad 12 ¶15 +3
In the myths
Teucer was expelled from his native city by his father Telamon after returning from Troy. Euripides, Helen 68-114 +2 Teucer shot an arrow that wounded Glaucus in the arm, causing him to stop fighting and retreat. Iliad 12 ¶19 +1 Teucer founded the city of Salamis in Cyprus following his expulsion, and the island was named Salamis in honor of his fatherland. Euripides, Helen 115-163 +1 Teucer refused to accept the judges' verdict regarding the contest for the arms. Ovid Met. 13.1-438 (7) +1 Teucer shot arrows at the Trojan forces and killed several Trojan warriors, including Orsilochus, Ormenus, Ophelestes, Daetor, Chromius, Lycophontes, Amopaon, and Melanippus. Iliad 15 ¶37 +1 Zeus broke Teucer's bowstring, causing him to miss Hector. Iliad 15 ¶38 +1 Teucer struggled hard in the center of the intense battle. Quintus 11 ¶28 +1 Teucer states that Ajax sailed to Greece as an autonomous ruler rather than under Greek command. Sophocles, Ajax 1091-1119 +1
