Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Dolon (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

: Δόλων, gen.: Δόλωνος) fought for

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

during the

Trojan War The Trojan War was a legendary conflict in Greek mythology that took place around the twelfth or thirteenth century BC. The war was waged by the Achaeans (Homer), Achaeans (Ancient Greece, Greeks) against the city of Troy after Paris (mytho ...

. He volunteered to spy on the Greek camp at the request of

Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; , ) was a Trojan prince, a hero and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. He is a major character in Homer's ''Iliad'', where he leads the Trojans and their allies in the defense of Troy, killing c ...

, but was captured by

Diomedes Diomedes (Jones, Daniel; Roach, Peter, James Hartman and Jane Setter, eds. ''Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary''. 17th edition. Cambridge UP, 2006.) or Diomede (; ) is a hero in Greek mythology, known for his participation in the Trojan ...

and

Odysseus In Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology, Odysseus ( ; , ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; ), is a legendary Greeks, Greek king of Homeric Ithaca, Ithaca and the hero of Homer's Epic poetry, epic poem, the ''Odyssey''. Od ...

Night mission in Homer's ''Iliad''

Dolon was the son of Eumedes and had five sisters. Considered a fast runner, after a request by

in which all the Trojan men were called together, Dolon put himself forward to spy on the Greek ships and check whether or not, as well as how, the Greeks were still guarding them. In exchange, Hector offered the horses and bronze chariot of

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus () was a hero of the Trojan War who was known as being the greatest of all the Greek warriors. The central character in Homer's ''Iliad'', he was the son of the Nereids, Nereid Thetis and Peleus, ...

as his prize at the end of the war. Fearing deceit, Dolon demanded that Hector swore to fulfill the promised reward. Dolon departed, wearing a wolf skin and a marten-pelt cap in order to blend into his surroundings. His plan was to deceive the Greeks by walking on all fours. By chance, he was spotted by

and

while they were on a secret raid to plunder the Trojans. The Greek warriors saw Dolon coming and hid in the bodies of the dead so that Dolon could not see them. Diomedes chased Dolon down with guidance from

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

. Dolon, after torture, begged for his life, telling the two warriors that he was worth a valuable ransom as his father, Eumedes, was very wealthy. Odysseus said that he would not kill Dolon if he told the two of them why he was spying on the Greeks. Dolon told Odysseus everything he needed to know, including his potential prize, before Odysseus explained to him that he had been tricked by Hector; only Achilles had the ability to control the horses that he was to receive. Dolon then informed the two Greeks which Trojan allies were living in which tent and what their strengths were. After this, Odysseus went back on his promise and Dolon was decapitated by Diomedes before the two went into the Trojan camp to wreak havoc, slaying Rhesus, king of

Thrace Thrace (, ; ; ; ) is a geographical and historical region in Southeast Europe roughly corresponding to the province of Thrace in the Roman Empire. Bounded by the Balkan Mountains to the north, the Aegean Sea to the south, and the Black Se ...

, and stealing his valuable horses. His son Eumedes, named after Dolon's father, survived the Trojan War to later fight and die by the hand of

Turnus Turnus () was the legendary King of the Rutuli in Roman history, and the chief antagonist of the hero Aeneas in Virgil's ''Aeneid''. According to the ''Aeneid'', Turnus is the son of Daunus and the nymph Venilia and is brother of the nymph ...

under the command of

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. 12.353-361.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Trojans