Pedasus (

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

: Πήδασος) has been identified with several personal and place names in Greek history and

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narra ...

Persons

In Homer's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

'', Pedasus was the name of a

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

warrior, and the son of the naiad

Abarbarea In classical Greek and Roman mythology, Abarbarea (Ancient Greek: Ἀβαρβαρέη) is the name of two nymphs: * Abarbarea, naiad wife of Bucolion.Homer, ''Iliad'6.21–23/ref> * Abarbarea, naiad ancestor of the Tyrians.Nonnus, ''Dionysiaca'' ...

and human

Bucolion In Greek mythology, Bucolion (Ancient Greek: Βουκολίωνα) may refer to the following individuals: * Bucolion, an Arcadian prince as one of the 50 sons of the impious King Lycaon either by the naiad Cyllene, Nonacris or by unknown wo ...

. His twin brother was

Aesepus In Greek mythology, Aesepus (Ancient Greek: Αἴσηπος) may refer to: *Aesepus, one of the Potamoi, river-god sons of the Titans Oceanus and his sister-wife Tethys. He was the divine personification of the river and nearby town of Aesepus ...

; both were slain by

Euryalus Euryalus (; grc, Εὐρύαλος, Eurýalos, broad) refers to the Euryalus fortress, the main citadel of Ancient Syracuse, and to several different characters from Greek mythology and classical literature: Classical mythology *Euryalus, name ...

, the son of

Mecisteus In Greek mythology, Mecisteus (; Ancient Greek: Μηκιστεύς ''Mēkisteús'') was the son of Talaus and Lysimache. He was the father of Euryalus by Astyoche. Mythology Mecisteus participated in the attack on the city of Thebes with th ...

, during the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

. In Homer's ''Iliad'', Pedasus was also the name of a swift horse taken as booty by

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

when he killed

Eetion In Greek mythology, Eëtion or Eetion (; grc, Ἠετίων ''Ēetíōn'' ) was the king of the Cilician Thebe. Family Eetion was the father of Andromache, wife of Hector, and of seven sons, including Podes. Mythology In Book 6 of the '' ...

. This horse was killed by a spear during a duel between Patroclus and

Sarpedon Sarpedon (; grc, Σαρπηδών) is the name of several figures in Greek mythology * Sarpedon, a son of Zeus, who fought on the side of Troy in the Trojan War. Although in the ''Iliad'', he was the son of Zeus and Laodamia, the daughter of Bel ...

Places

Pedasus (Caria) Pedasa ( grc, Πήδασα or τὰ Πήδασα), also known as Pedasus or Pedasos (Πήδασος), and as Pedasum, was a town of ancient Caria. It was a ''polis'' (city-state) by . Alexander the Great deprived the place of its independence by g ...

: In

Caria Caria (; from Greek: Καρία, ''Karia''; tr, Karya) was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid- Ionia (Mycale) south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined ...

, according to

Herodotus Herodotus ( ; grc, , }; BC) was an ancient Greek historian and geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society ...

, the Battle of Pedasus (Summer of 496 BCE) was a night ambush where the Carians annihilated a Persian army. This engagement occurred during the

Ionian Revolt The Ionian Revolt, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several Greek regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 BC to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisf ...

(499-494 BCE).

Pedasus (Messenia) Pedasus or Pedasos ( grc, Πήδασος) was a town of ancient Messenia, mentioned by Homer in the ''Iliad'' as one of the seven towns of Messenia offered by Agamemnon to Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀ ...

: In Peloponnese, Methone has been identified with the vine-covered Pedasus, one of the seven cities offered by

Agamemnon In Greek mythology, Agamemnon (; grc-gre, Ἀγαμέμνων ''Agamémnōn'') was a king of Mycenae who commanded the Greeks during the Trojan War. He was the son, or grandson, of King Atreus and Queen Aerope, the brother of Menelaus, the ...

to quell his rage and to persuade him to return to the

Siege of Troy In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...

Pedasus (Mysia) Pedasus or Pedasos ( grc, Πήδασος), also known as Pedasa (Πήδασα), was a small town of ancient Mysia, on the river Satnioeis. It is mentioned by Homer in the ''Iliad'', but was deserted in the time of Strabo. Strabo (p. 584) mentions ...

: In the

Troad The Troad ( or ; el, Τρωάδα, ''Troáda'') or Troas (; grc, Τρῳάς, ''Trōiás'' or , ''Trōïás'') is a historical region in northwestern Anatolia. It corresponds with the Biga Peninsula ( Turkish: ''Biga Yarımadası'') in the � ...

, there was another Pedasus on the Satnioeis river, said to be inhabited by a tribe called the

Leleges The Leleges (; grc-gre, Λέλεγες) were an aboriginal people of the Aegean region, before the Greeks arrived. They were distinct from another pre-Hellenic people of the region, the Pelasgians. The exact areas to which they were native are u ...

. During the

, this Pedasus was ruled over by a certain king named

Altes ''For people with the surname, see Altès (surname).'' In Greek mythology, Altes was a Lelegian king who resided at Pedasus, which was situated in or near the Troad. According to Homer's ''Iliad'' Altes was the father of Laothoe, one of the ma ...

, who was killed by

. This city was sacked by

.Homer, ''Iliad'' 20.86

Notes

References

, '' The Histories'' with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920.
Online version at the Topos Text Project.Greek text available at Perseus Digital Library
*

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

, ''The Iliad'' with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
* Homer, ''Homeri Opera'' in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
{{Greek myth index Trojans Characters in the Iliad