InGreek mythology,Leitus (/ˈliːɪtəs/;Ancient Greek: ΛήϊτοςLeϊtos) was a leader of theBoeotians and admiral of 12 ships which sailed againstTroy.^[1]

Leitus was the son ofAlector^[2] (Alectryon)^[3] andPolybule^[4] or ofLacritus andCleobule.^[1] He was the brother ofClonius, and probably the half-sibling of other Boeotian leaders,Arcesilaus andProthoenor.^[5]

In some accounts, Leitus was described as anearth-born and thus a son ofGaia (Earth).^[6]

Leitus also sailed with theArgonauts^[2] and afterwards, as one of thesuitors of Helen, fought in theTrojan War,^[7] where he killed 20 enemies,^[8] includingPhylacus.^[9]

Leitus was one of the sevenAchaean leaders (others beingTeucer,Thoas,Meriones,Antilochus,Peneleos andDeipyrus) in front of whomPoseidon appeared during the Trojans' attack on theAchaean ships, urging them to fight back instead of acting like cowards.^[10] He was wounded byHector on the hand at the wrist,^[11] but in the end, he was the only Boeotian leader to safely return home after the Trojan War. He also brought back the remains ofArcesilaus, another Boeotian chieftain, and buried them near the city ofLebadea.^[12] His own tomb was atPlataeae.^[13]

• Apollodorus,The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.Greek text available from the same website.
• Diodorus Siculus,The Library of History translated byCharles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes.Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8.Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
• Diodorus Siculus,Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Euripides,The Plays of Euripides, translated by E. P. Coleridge. Volume II. London. George Bell and Sons. 1891.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Euripides,Euripidis Fabulae.vol. 3. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Gaius Julius Hyginus,Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies.Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Homer,The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Homer,Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pausanias,Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias,Graeciae Descriptio.3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Tzetzes, John,Allegories of the Iliad translated by Goldwyn, Adam J. and Kokkini, Dimitra. Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library, Harvard University Press, 2015.ISBN 978-0-674-96785-4

• Ancient Greek military personnel
• Argonauts
• Achaean Leaders
• Mythological Boeotians