In the Greek Mythology, Télèphe (in Greek old Τήλεφος / Tếlephos ) is the son of Héraclès and Augé, girl of Aléos, king of Tégée in Arcadie. The town of Pergame, in Mysie (minor Asia), asserts it like its founder. Its heroic epic is at the same time complex and badly known.

Caption

Aléos, king of Tégée in Arcadie, is prevented by an oracle against the birth of a grandson. He thus makes to his Augé girl a priestess of Athéna, dedicated to chastity. Allured by Héraclès, it gives rise to Télèphe. Discovered, it is abandoned with the sea in a boat, however that Télèphe is exposed on the Parthénion mount. In fact, Augé is collected by Teuthras, king de Mysie, and Télèphe raised by a shepherd. Become adult, Télèphe finds his/her father and leaves in Mysie where it meets his mother. Chosen for king by the population, it pushes back the first unloading of the Achaens come to besiege Troy but made by error in Mysie. However, he stumbles on a vine caused by Dionysos and is struck by the lance of Achille. Informed by an oracle which its wound can be cured only by the latter, it is introduced disguised among Greeks, with Argos, takes the young person Oreste as an hostage and is finally cured. In exchange, he explains to the Achaens the way towards Troy.

It is the most known version of the legend, but there exist very many alternatives. According to the Catalog of the women , allotted to Hésiode, Augé is adopted on divine order by Teuthras, king of Mysie. Héraclès visits this last whereas it comes to seek the horses which Laomédon promised to him.

According to Pausanias, probably quoting Hécatée de Milet, Augé is allured by Héraclès and gives rise to Télèphe. Furious, Aléos locks up mother and child in a trunk which it makes throw to the sea. The trunk is led by the floods until in minor Asia, where it is collected Teuthras. This one marries Augé and adopts Télèphe.

According to the prolog of the Télèphe of Euripide, only part that we preserved, Augé gives rise to Télèphe close to the Parthénion mount. Mother and wire are then separate before being found in Mysie.

Artistic and literary representations

Télèphe is the hero of two tragedy S of Eschyle, Mysiens and Télèphe , which treats wound of Télèphe and its voyage with Argos. It is probable that a third part was written on the same subject, but no relevant title was preserved. In Acharniens , Aristophane scoffs the Télèphe : it shows its hero seeking with the store of accessories the rags of Télèphe to plead its cause, and takes shortly after as an hostage a coal bag, parodies catch as an hostage of Oreste by Télèphe.

Its heroic epic is represented in the interior court of the Grand Furnace bridge of Pergame; it includes/understands unknown scenes in addition. Undoubtedly it conforms to a work of court. On the vases, the episode of the catch as an hostage is often represented. Its burlesque alternative is quite as popular.

Sources

• (II, 7,4-6; III, 9,1), (III, 17-20).

• Dictys of Crete, Éphéméride of the Trojan War (II, 2-7; II, 10).
• (VIII, 4,9).

External bond

• London 382: a Pélikè with red figures showing the catch as an hostage of Oreste