Gods,Heroes,Myths Greek Mythology Homer's epics,Expeditions

Peleus was the son of King Aeacus of Aegina and Endeïs. He had two brothers: Telamon, by the same parents, and Phocus, by a different mother.

Because the two brothers killed Phocus, they were banished from Aegina. Peleus found refuge in the palace of Eurystheus, the king of Phthia. There, Eurystheus absolved him of his guilt and gave him his daughter, Antigone, as a wife, as well as a portion of his kingdom. Thus, Peleus became king of the Myrmidons.

They lived happily and had a daughter, Polyxena. However, during a hunting expedition for the Calydonian Boar, Peleus accidentally killed his father-in-law. Because of this accident, he was forced to leave for Iolcus, where he was received by King Acastus and was purified for the second time in his life.

Acastus's wife, Astydameia, fell madly in love with Peleus, but he rejected her affection. Subsequently, Astydameia, wishing to exact revenge, sent a message to Peleus's wife, Antigone, falsely claiming that Peleus intended to marry Acastus's daughter, Sterope. Believing this announcement, Antigone fell into despair and committed suicide. Additionally, Astydameia accused Peleus to Acastus of attempting to rape her. Acastus, unwilling to kill his guest, took Peleus with him to Mount Pelion to hunt wild animals. There, while Peleus was exhausted from the hunt, he fell asleep, and Acastus took his knife and left, abandoning him vulnerable to defend himself in the forest, where wild beastly natures or Centaurs could have torn him apart. However, Peleus was saved by the Centaur Chiron or, according to other versions, by the god Hermes.

Subsequently, Peleus returned to Iolcus and exterminated Acastus and Astydameia. According to Apollodorus, Peleus, with the help of Jason and the Dioscuri, seized Iolcus and neutralized Astydameia.

From his marriage to Thetis, Peleus had Achilles, possibly the greatest hero of the Trojan War. When Achilles was still young, Thetis tried to make him immortal by dipping him in the waters of the River Styx by his heel. Peleus, however, misunderstood Thetis’s intentions and sent her away to her father, Nereus. He entrusted Achilles’s care and upbringing to the Centaur Chiron.

Peleus also participated in the Argonautic expedition with Jason. At one of the intermediate stops of the journey, on Lemnos, Jason organized games, and Peleus requested to combine five sports, thus creating the pentathlon. In this way, he managed to win, as he was undefeated in wrestling, while in discus, javelin, long jump, and running, he achieved second place.