Hesione

In Greek mythology and later art, the name Hesione refers to various mythological figures, of which the Trojan princess Hesione is known most.
==Princess Hesione of Troy==
According to Apollodorus, the most prominent Hesione was a Trojan princess, daughter of King Laomedon of Troy, sister of Priam and second wife of King Telamon of Salamis. Apollo and Poseidon were angry at king Laomedon because he refused to pay the wage he promised them for building Troy's walls. Apollo sent a plague and Poseidon a sea monster to destroy Troy.pg34. Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Print. Oracles promised deliverance if Laomedon would expose his daughter Hesione to be devoured by the sea monster (in other versions, the lot happened to fall on her) and he exposed her by fastening her naked to the rocks near the sea.pg 34 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Print.
Heracles (along with Telamon and Oicles) happened to arrive on their return from the expedition against the Amazons. Seeing her exposed, Heracles promised to save her on condition that Laomedon would give him the wonderful horses he had received from Zeus as compensation for Zeus' kidnapping of Ganymedes.pg 34 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Print. Laomedon agreed and Heracles slew the monster, in some accounts after being swallowed by it and hacking at its innards for three days before it died and he emerged having lost all his hair. However, Laomedon refused the promised award. In a later expedition Heracles attacked Troy, slew Laomedon and all Laomedon's sons except the youngest named Podarces.pg 38 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Print. Heracles gave Laomedon's daughter Hesione as a prize to Telamon instead of keeping her for himself.pg 38 and 65 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Print. He allowed her to take with her any captives that she wished and she chose her brother Podarces. Heracles allowed her to ransom him in exchange for his veil whence Podarces was henceforth known as Priam from primai 'to buy'.pg 39 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. Heracles then bestowed the government of Troy on Priam. However, it is also claimed that Priam simply happened to be absent during Heracles attack on Troy, being campaigning in Phrygia.
Hesione was taken home by Telamon, married him and bore him a son Teucrospg 65 Apollodorus, and Hyginus. Apollodorus' Library and Hyginus' Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology. Trans. R. Scott Smith and Stephen Trzaskoma. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub., 2007. who would be half-brother to Telamon's son from his first marriage Ajax. Alternatively, she became pregnant with Trambelus while still on board the ship and then escaped; it is also possible, though, that the mother of Trambelus was not Hesione, but a certain Theaneira.Tzetzes on Lycophron, 467 & 469 Priam later sent Antenor and Anchises to Greece to demand Hesione's return, but they were rejected and driven away, hence the willingness of Priam later to accept the abduction of Helen.
==Others named Hesione==
*Hesione was an Oceanid who became wife of Prometheus according to both Acusilaus and Aeschylus (in Prometheus Bound, 555).
*Hesione was also the name of the wife of Nauplius according to Cercops as cited by Apollodorus (2.1.5).
A character in George Bernard Shaw's Heartbreak House is named Hesione.
===Spurious references===
The name Hesione in Dictys Cretensis 4.22 appears to be an error for Plesione of Dictys 1.9 and that in turn an error for Pleione.
==References==
Category:Greek Mythology