Telegonus

Telegonus is a name given to three individuals in Greek mythology. The most important was the son of Odysseus and Circe, who killed his father without knowing who he was. The story comes from the lost epic Telegony, summarized by Proclus, and is also told by Apollodorus and Hyginus. It fulfils the prophecy in Homer that death would come to Odysseus “from the sea”.

Who Was Telegonus?

Parents and Siblings

Telegonus was the son of Odysseus and the sorceress Circe, who lived on the island of Aeaea. Hesiod says that Circe, daughter of Helius, loved steadfast Odysseus and bore him Agrius and Latinus, and Telegonus by the will of golden Aphrodite; they ruled over the famous Tyrsenians, far off in a recess of the holy islands (Theogony 1011–1016). Homer tells how Odysseus stayed with Circe for a year on his way home from Troy (Odyssey 10.467–474), but does not mention a son.

His half-brothers include Telemachus, Odysseus’ son by Penelope, and Polypoetes, whom Odysseus had by Callidice, queen of the Thesprotians (Apollodorus, Epitome 7.34–35). Eustathius reports that the author of the Telegony made Telegonus, also called Teledamus, a son of Odysseus and Calypso, and said that Penelope bore Telemachus and Acusilaus.

The Meaning of the Name

The name Telegonus is usually understood as “born far away”, from the Greek words tele, “far”, and gonos, “offspring”. No ancient source explains it, but it suits a son born on a distant island to a father who had gone home.

The Death of Odysseus

The Prophecy

In the Odyssey, the seer Tiresias tells Odysseus in the underworld that death will come to him “from the sea”, a death so gentle that it will take him when he is worn out by old age, with his people prosperous around him (Odyssey 11.119–137). The manner of Odysseus’ death fits this prophecy: Telegonus’ spear was tipped with the spine of a stingray, a creature of the sea (Apollodorus, Epitome 7.36). Hyginus adds that an oracle had also warned Odysseus to beware of death from his own son (Fabulae 127).

Telegonus Comes to Ithaca

When Telegonus learned from Circe that he was the son of Odysseus, he sailed in search of him. He came to the island of Ithaca, and drove off some of the cattle; Odysseus came out to defend them, and Telegonus wounded him with the spear he was holding, which was barbed with the spine of a stingray. Odysseus died of the wound (Apollodorus, Epitome 7.36). The Telegony, as summarized by Proclus, says that Telegonus, travelling in search of his father, landed on Ithaca and ravaged the island, and that Odysseus came out to defend his country and was killed by his son unwittingly. In Hyginus, Telegonus had been sent by his mother to look for his father, was driven to Ithaca by a storm, and began to plunder the fields because he was starving; Odysseus and Telemachus took up arms against him without knowing who he was (Fabulae 127).

After the Death of Odysseus

Telegonus Recognizes His Father

When Telegonus realized what he had done, he lamented bitterly. According to Apollodorus, he carried the body of his father and Penelope to Circe, and married Penelope there; Circe sent them both away to the Islands of the Blest (Epitome 7.37). The summary of the Telegony adds Telemachus: Telegonus transported his father’s body with Penelope and Telemachus to his mother’s island, where Circe made them immortal, and Telegonus married Penelope, and Telemachus married Circe.

The same marriages are told by Hyginus, who says that Athena commanded them: Odysseus was buried on the island of Aeaea, and Telegonus took Penelope and Telemachus took Circe as wives. In Hyginus, Circe and Telemachus had a son, Latinus, who gave the Latin language its name, and Penelope and Telegonus had a son, Italus, who gave his name to Italy (Fabulae 127). Eustathius says that the Colophonian author of the Returns also had Telemachus marry Circe and Telegonus marry Penelope.

Immortality and the Variants

The immortality of Penelope and Telemachus, and the marriages, are particular to the Telegony tradition. Apollodorus does not mention Telemachus’ marriage to Circe, and says only that Circe sent Telegonus and Penelope to the Islands of the Blest (Epitome 7.37). In Hesiod, Telegonus is simply one of Circe’s sons by Odysseus, and rules with his brothers over the Tyrsenians (Theogony 1011–1016).

Other Men Named Telegonus

Two other figures bear the name. One was a son of Proteus, the son of Poseidon, who challenged Heracles to wrestle at Torone, together with his brother Polygonus, and was killed by Heracles (Apollodorus, Library 2.5.9). The other was a king of Egypt who married Io after she had found her son Epaphus (Apollodorus, Library 2.1.3).

Telegonus Sources

The main ancient sources for Telegonus are the summary of the lost Telegony of Eugammon of Cyrene, preserved by Proclus; Apollodorus, Epitome 7.34–37; and Hyginus, Fabulae 127. Homer, Odyssey 11.119–137 gives the prophecy of death “from the sea” and 10.467–474 the year with Circe (Odyssey 11). Hesiod, Theogony 1011–1016, names Telegonus among Circe’s sons. The other two Telegonoi appear in Apollodorus, Library 2.1.3 and 2.5.9.

See Also: Odysseus, Circe, Telemachus, Penelope, Calypso, Aeaea, Heracles, Io