Dolon (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Dolon (Greek: Δόλων, gen.: Δόλωνος) fought for Troy during the Trojan War.

Dolon crawling on all fours in his wolf skin

Dolon's Night Mission in Homer's Iliad

Dolon is the child of Eumedes, along with 5 sisters. Considered a fast runner, after a request by Hector in which all the Trojan men are called together, Dolon volunteers to spy on the Greek ships and check whether or not the Greeks are still guarding them, and if so, how. In exchange Hector offers the horses and bronze chariot of Achilles as his prize at the end of the war. Fearing deceit, Dolon demands that Hector swears to fulfill the promised reward. Dolon departs wearing a wolf skin and a weasel cap in order to blend in to his surroundings. His plan was to deceive the Greeks by walking on all fours.^[1] By chance, he is spotted by Odysseus and Diomedes while they are on a secret raid to plunder the Trojans. The Greek warriors see Dolon coming and hide themselves in the bodies of the dead so that Dolon can't see them. Diomedes chases Dolon down with help from Athena and Dolon begs for his life, telling the two warriors that he is worth a valuable ransom because his father, Eumedes, is very wealthy. Odysseus says he won't kill Dolon if he tells the two of them why he was spying on the Greeks. Dolon tells Odysseus everything he wants to know, including his potential prize, before Odysseus explains to him that he has been tricked by Hector: only Achilles can control the horses that he was to receive. Dolon then tells the two Greeks which Trojan allies are living in which tent and what their strengths are. After he tells the two all the information that they wanted he is decapitated by Diomedes before the two head off into the Trojan camp to wreak havoc, slaying Rhesus, king of Thrace, and stealing his valuable horses.^[2] His son Eumedes, named after Dolon's father, survived the Trojan War to later fight and die under the command of Aeneas in Italy.^[3]

References

1. ^ Euripides, Rhesus.
2. ^ Homer. The Iliad, Book 10.
3. ^ Virgil. Aeneid, Book 12.