Laomedon facts for kids

Laomedon was a king of Troy in Greek mythology. He was the son of Ilus. Laomedon was the father of King Priam, and many other children including Astyoche and Hesione.

Laomedon was known for his powerful kingdom and for owning a special team of divine horses. These horses were given to his grandfather, Tros, by the god Zeus. This was a payment after Zeus had taken Tros' son, Ganymede, to be the cupbearer of the gods.

King Laomedon of Troy

Laomedon ruled the city of Troy, a very strong and famous city. He was a powerful king, but he was also known for breaking his promises. This led to many problems for him and his city.

The Divine Horses

Laomedon's horses were incredibly fast and strong. They were a gift from Zeus, the king of the gods. Zeus had taken Ganymede, a handsome prince, to serve him on Mount Olympus. To make up for this, Zeus gave Tros, Laomedon's grandfather, these amazing horses.

Building Troy's Walls

Once, the gods Apollo and Poseidon were punished by Zeus. As part of their punishment, they had to serve a mortal king. They chose to serve Laomedon and helped him build the massive walls of Troy. Poseidon built the strong stone walls, and Apollo protected the city with his skills.

When the walls were finished, Laomedon had promised to pay the gods for their hard work. However, he refused to give them the payment he had agreed upon. This made Apollo and Poseidon very angry.

Laomedon's Betrayal

Because Laomedon broke his promise, the gods decided to punish Troy. Apollo sent a terrible plague, a widespread disease, upon the city. Poseidon sent a giant sea monster, called Cetus, to attack the Trojan coast. The monster would come from the sea and devour people and animals.

To stop the monster, the people of Troy were told by an oracle that they had to sacrifice one of Laomedon's daughters. The chosen daughter was Hesione. She was chained to a rock by the sea, waiting to be eaten by the monster.

Heracles and the Sea Monster

At this time, the hero Heracles was traveling through the region. He saw Hesione chained to the rock and offered to save her. In return, Laomedon promised to give Heracles the divine horses. Heracles agreed and bravely fought the sea monster, killing it and saving Hesione.

However, once again, Laomedon refused to keep his word. He would not give Heracles the horses he had promised. This made Heracles furious.

The Fall of Laomedon

Heracles gathered an army and returned to Troy to get his revenge. He attacked the city and killed Laomedon and all of his sons, except for one. The only son who survived was Priam. Heracles then placed Priam on the throne as the new king of Troy.

Laomedon's story is a famous example in Greek mythology of how breaking promises to the gods and heroes can lead to terrible consequences.