LEMNOS (island)

Myths set at Lemnos

In the age of the gods

Before the heroes. In Godsunder these are history: everyone in the world knows them.

• The Fall of Hephaestus. Hephaestus is cast from heaven due to his lameness and falls to the sea or the island of Lemnos. He spends nine years in a cave crafting bronze items for the Nereids who care for him. Apollodorus 1.3.5 +5 Hephaestus

In the age of heroes

• The Abandonment on Lemnos. hook: Philoctetes, a fair and just man, is bitten by a poisonous snake and suffers a foul-smelling wound. goal: The Achaean forces abandon him on Lemnos, leaving him to die alone. outcome: He wakes to find the ships gone, left with only rags and food, having been cast out by the sons of Atreus. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.27 +5 Philoctetes
• The Flight from Colchis. Medea escapes her tyrannous father's custody and flees Colchis with Jason and the sons of Phrixus. She travels to Lemnos, where she and Jason participate in games, having left her family and native land behind. Argonautica 4 ¶44 +5 Medea
• The Massacre of the Lemnian Husbands. Hypsipyle, the beloved daughter of King Thoas, faces a crisis on Lemnos where the women have killed their husbands and the island needs repopulation. She rallies the women to welcome visiting heroes, hides her father to save him from the massacre, and ultimately yields the rule of the island to ensure its survival. Apollodorus 1.9.17 +5 Hypsipyle
• The Trap for Ares and Aphrodite. Hephaestus, suspecting infidelity, sets an invisible trap in his bed while traveling to Lemnos. When Ares and Aphrodite are caught, the gods gather to laugh, and Neptune negotiates Ares's release in exchange for a promise of payment. Odyssey 8 ¶19 +5 Hephaestus
• The Departure from Lemnos. Neoptolemus is urged by Heracles to leave Lemnos immediately, overriding his desire to pray and wait for preparations. He consents to the plan and departs with Odysseus, commanding the ship. Quintus 9 ¶17 +3 Neoptolemus
• The Retrieval of Philoctetes. Diomedes sails to Lemnos to retrieve Philoctetes and Hercules' bow for the Achaean army. He uses craft and persuasion to secure the weapons and convince Philoctetes to join the war at Troy. Apollodorus, Epitome 5.8 +3 Diomedes
• The Slaying of Lycaon. Achilles captures Lycaon and transports him to Lemnos to sell him for a price. He attempts to kill Lycaon to test his own mortality but fails, leading to a final confrontation where he stabs Lycaon in the neck. Iliad 21 ¶4 +3 Achilles
• The Battle of the Ships. Patroclus drives a chariot away from the Trojan ranks and inspires the Argives with hard courage. He transports the captive Lycaon to the island of Lemnos and sells him into slavery. Quintus 4 ¶17 +2 Patroclus
• The Capture and Ransom of Lycaon. Achilles captures Lycaon in his father's vineyard and sells him into slavery on Lemnos. Lycaon is eventually ransomed, returns home, and is later captured again by the Achaeans. Iliad 21 ¶4 +2 Lycaon
• The Rescue of Hypsipyle. hook: "Thoas and his brother Euneus travel from Lemnos to Nemea to find their mother.", "goal: "Thoas seeks to reunite with his mother.", "outcome: "Thoas rushes through troops to embrace his mother with tears."} Statius, Thebaid 5.692-717 ¶2 +1
• The Voyage to Lemnos. Odysseus was sent by the sons of Atreus to the island of Lemnos. He sailed across the Aegean Sea and arrived at a desolate headland on the island. Quintus 9 ¶24 +1 Odysseus
• The Colonization of Thera. The Minyans, driven from Lemnos by the Pelasgians, set out under the leadership of the Theban Theras. They settled on the island of Calliste, which was later named Thera after their leader. Pausanias 7.2.2