Historiae Romanorum

Laomedon

The son of Ilus, Laomedon was the seventh and most foolish king of Troy.  As punishment for an attempted insurrection against Zeus, Apollo and Poseidon were forced to work for Laomedon, a mere mortal, for wages.  They built a mighty wall, but Laomedon refused to both pay them, as well as let them quit.  At the end of the year, Laomedon threatened to cut off the two gods ears and sell them into slavery if they did not continue to work.

Needless to say, this was not wise.  Apollo and Poseidon punished the king by sending a plague and sea monster respectively.  In order for the disasters to cease, Laomedon pledged to sacrifice his daughter to a sea monster.  Not wanting his daughter to die, Laomedon sent spoke to Heracles, who had just come from completing one of his twelve labors.  He promised the hero a great reward: the mares Zeus gave to Tros for the abduction of Ganymede.  Heracles intervened and rescued Laomedon's daughter.  Afterwards, however, Laomedon refused to give Heracles the reward.  Heracles did not take this treachery lightly, and he later returned with his fellow heroes to capture Troy.  Laomedon was killed, and his pious son Priam was given the throne.

Source(s):

1. Homer.  Iliad.

2. Apollodorus.  Bibliotece.

3. Ovid.  Metamorphoses.

This page was last updated on July 21, 2004.