The name of Sarpedon is not amongst the most famous from Greek mythology, but is a name that appears in some famous stories, although the name itself might refer to multiple individuals.

It is not uncommon to find two or more figures from Greek mythology with the same name. In some cases it is obvious that the names relate to two different individuals, like Asterion, the King of Crete, and Asterion, the Minotaur. In other cases it is not so clear.

In the case of Minos of Crete, it could be assumed that there was one king of that name, but equally the stories of Greek mythology might indicate two kings, grandfather and grandson, a just king and a wicked one. A similar possibility occurs with the mythological figure of Sarpedon.

The first Sarpedon

The first Sarpedon spoken of in the stories of Ancient Greece was in fact a brother of Minos of Crete, or at least the first Minos. When the beautiful Europa, a princess of Tyre, caught the eye of Zeus, the supreme deity decided to abduct her. This Zeus did by transforming himself into a beautiful bull, and with the princess riding on his back, swam to Crete. Zeus would transform himself into human form, and the two would mate. From this union came three sons, Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon.

Europa would subsequently marry Asterion, king of Crete, and the king would adopt the three brothers, raising them as his own. When Asterion died, the problem of succession arose. Minos won the argument to become king, aided by a sign from Poseidon. Minos did not want any future threats to his throne, and so he banished his two brothers from Crete. Rhadamanthys would go to live in Boeotia, whilst Sarpedon would settle in Milyas, the land that would later become known as Lycia. Sarpedon would be named as a king of Lycia.

Sarpedon would have two sons, Evander and Antiphates, by an unnamed Theban woman. Zeus also blessed his son with the gift of long life, said to be equivalent to three generations.

Sarpedon at Troy

The name of Sarpedon is probably most famous because it appears in the Iliad by Homer. A few sources, from antiquity, do suggest that this is the same Sarpedon born to Europa and blessed with long life, although some sources simply name him as the grandson of the original.

Where Sarpedon is named as the grandson, it is nominally said that he is son of Evander and Deidamia (or Laodamia), daughter of Bellerophon. To make a continuous story though, it is often said that Sarpedon was in fact the son of Zeus and the daughter of Bellerophon, who was raised by Evander. This Sarpedon ascended to the throne, when his uncles and cousins withdrew their own claim to it.

When the Achaeans advanced on Troy, Sarpedon led a force of Lycians to Ilium, to fight alongside his Trojan allies.

During the Trojan War, Sarpedon was one of the most highly regarded heroes on the Trojan side, and was famed for fighting side by side with his cousin, Glaucus. In his most famous battle, Sarpedon led one of the forces in a two-pronged attack against the Greek camp. His force, and Hector’s, broke through the Greek defences, and put in danger the Achaean ships.

With Achilles refusing to fight after an argument with Agamemnon, Achilles’ cousin, Patroclus, donned the other’s armour, and started a counterattack against the Trojan forces. Eventually Sarpedon and Patroclus would face each other on the battlefield.

It had already been prophesised that Sarpedon would be killed by Patroclus, but Zeus pondered the possibility of saving his son. The sons of many other gods though were dying outside of Troy, a point raised by Hera, and so eventually Zeus relented, and allowed Sarpedon to be killed by Patroclus. Glaucus would fight valiantly to recover the body, although the armour had already been stripped from the Lycian king. The gods then intervened; the corpse was cleansed by Apollo, before it was transported by Hypnos and Thanatos back to Lycia for funeral rights to be completed.

A third Sarpedon

In the Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus), a third Sarpedon is mentioned; this one appears during the ninth labour of Heracles, in which the girdle of Hippolyte is obtained. Having successfully overcome the Amazons, Heracles was making his way back to Tiryns when he landed upon the shores of the Thracian city of Aenus.

The king of Aenus, Poltys was the son of Poseidon, but the king’s brother, Sarpedon, was rude to the demi-god. As Heracles departed Aenus, he took up his bow and arrow and shot Sarpedon. This Sarpedon is but a minor figure compared to the other two of the same name.

It is of course the second-mentioned Sarpedon who is the most poetic, and was the one most celebrated in the time of Homer. The heroes of the Trojan War were revered in antiquity, and for many centuries afterwards people would trace their ancestors back to such men.