Helen of Troy - Life - Suitors of Helen

Suitors of Helen

When it was time for Helen to marry, many kings and princes from around the world came to seek her hand, bringing rich gifts with them, or sent emissaries to do so on their behalf. During the contest, Castor and Pollux had a prominent role in dealing with the suitors, although the final decision was in the hands of Tyndareus. Menelaus, her future husband, did not attend but sent his brother, Agamemnon, to represent him.

There are three available and not entirely consistent lists of suitors, compiled by Pseudo-Apollodorus (31 suitors), Hesiod (11 suitors), and Hyginus (36 suitors), for a total of 45 distinct names. There are only fragments from Hesiod's poem, so his list would have contained more. Achilles' absence from the lists is conspicuous, but Hesiod explains that he was too young to take part in the contest. Taken together, the list of suitors matches well with the captains in the Catalog of Ships from the Iliad; however, some of the names may have been placed in the list of Helen's suitors simply because they went to Troy. It is not unlikely that relatives of a suitor may have joined the war.

Six Suitors listed in all three sources

• Ajax - Son of Telamon. Led 12 ships from Salamis to Troy. Commits suicide there.
• Elephenor - Son of Chalcodon. Led 50 ships to Troy and died there
• Menelaus - Son of Atreus. Led 60 ships from Sparta to Troy. He returned home to Sparta with Helen.
• Menestheus - Son of Peteos. Led 50 ships from Athens to Troy. He returned to Athens after the war.
• Odysseus - Son of Laertes. Led 12 ships from Ithaca to Troy. He returned home after 10 years of wandering the seas.
• Protesilaus - Son of Iphicles. Led 40 ships from Phylace to Troy. He was the first Greek to die in battle at the hands of Hector.

Nineteen Suitors listed by both Apollodorus and Hyginus

• Agapenor - Son of Ancaeus, King of Arcadia. Takes 60 ships of men to Troy. Returns home.
• Ajax (AKA Ajax the Lesser or Locrian Ajax) - Son of Oileus. Led 40 ships to Troy, drowned on the way home when Poseidon split the rock he was on.
• Amphimachus - Son of Cteatus. With Polyxenus and Thalpius, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy. Killed by Hector.
• Antilochus - Son of Nestor. Went with his father and 90 ships to Troy. Killed in battle while protecting his father from Memnon.
• Ascalaphus - Son of Ares and King of Orchemenus. Led 30 ships to Troy. Killed in battle by Deiphobus.
• Diomedes - Son of Tydeus. Diomedes was one of the Epigoni and King of Argos. He led 80 ships to Troy. His wife took a lover and Diomedes lost his kingdom, so after the war he settled in Italy.
• Eumelus - Son of Admetus and King of Pherae. Led 11 ships to Troy.
• Eurypylus - Son of Euaemon. Led 40 ships from Thessaly to Troy.
• Leonteus - Son of Coronos. With Polypoetes he led 40 ships of the Lapiths to Troy.
• Machaon - Son of Asclepius, brother of Podalirius. An Argonaut and physician. Led 30 ships. Killed in battle by Eurypylus (the son of Telephus).
• Meges - Son of Phyleus. Led 40 ships to Troy.
• Patroclus - Son of Menoetius. His younger cousin Achilles went with him to Troy. Killed by Hector.
• Peneleos - Son of Hippalcimus. An Argonaut. He went with the Boetian force of 50 ships to Troy. Killed in battle by Eurypylus (the son of Telephus).
• Philoctetes - Son of Poeas. Led 7 ships from Thessaly to Troy, he was an archer and killed Paris.
• Podalirius - Son of Asclepius, brother of Machaon. A physician. After the war he founded a city in Caria.
• Polypoetes - Son of Pirithous. With Leonteus, he led 40 ships of the Lapiths to Troy.
• Polyxenus - Son of Agasthenes. With Amphimachus, and Thalpius, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy.
• Sthenelus - Son of Capaneus. One of the Epigoni, he went with Diomedes to Troy.
• Thalpius - Son of Eurytus. With Amphimachus and Polyxenus, he led 40 ships from Elis to Troy.

One Suitor listed by Apollodorus and Hesiod

• Amphilochus - Son of Amphiaraus and younger brother of Alcmaeon.

One Suitor listed by Hesiod and Hyginus

• Idomeneus - Son of Deucalion and King of Crete. Led 80 ships to Troy. Survived the war, but was exiled from Crete.

Three Suitors listed only by Hesiod

• Alcmaeon - Son of Amphiaraus and one of the Epigoni.
• Lycomedes - a Cretan.
• Podarces - The younger brother of Protesilaus. He led the troops after his brother's death.

Ten Suitors listed only by Hyginus

• Ancaeus -
• Blanirus -
• Clytius -
• Meriones - A companion of Idomeneus of Crete.
• Nireus - He led 3 ships from Syme to Troy.
• Phemius -
• Phidippus - He led 30 ships to Troy.
• Prothous - He led 40 ships from Magnetes to Troy.
• Thoas - He led 40 ships from Aetolia to Troy.
• Tlepolemus - He led 9 ships from Rhodes to Troy.

Five Suitors listed only by Apollodorus

• Epistrophus - Son of Iphitus, brother of Schedius.
• Ialmenus - Companion of Ascalaphus, who led 30 ships to Troy
• Leitus - Son of Alector
• Schedius - Son of Iphitus, brother of Epistrophus. He was killed by Hector who was trying to throw a spear towards Ajax.
• Teucer - The half-brother of Ajax. Survived the war.