| Dolon | |
|---|---|
 Dolon crawling on all fours in his wolf skin | |
| Abode | Troy |
| Parents | Eumedes |
InGreek mythology,Dolon (Ancient Greek: Δόλων, gen.: Δόλωνος) fought forTroy during theTrojan War. He volunteered to spy on the Greek camp at the request ofHector, but was captured byDiomedes andOdysseus.
Dolon was the son ofEumedes and had five sisters. Considered a fast runner, after a request byHector in which all the Trojan men were called together, Dolon put himself forward to spy on the Greek ships and check whether or not, as well as how, the Greeks were still guarding them. In exchange, Hector offered the horses and bronze chariot ofAchilles as his prize at the end of the war. Fearing deceit, Dolon demanded that Hector swore to fulfill the promised reward. Dolon departed, wearing a wolf skin and a marten-pelt cap in order to blend into his surroundings. His plan was to deceive the Greeks by walking on all fours.[1]
By chance, he was spotted byOdysseus andDiomedes while they were on a secret raid to plunder the Trojans. The Greek warriors saw Dolon coming and hid in the bodies of the dead so that Dolon could not see them. Diomedes chased Dolon down with guidance fromAthena. Dolon, after torture, begged for his life, telling the two warriors that he was worth a valuable ransom as his father, Eumedes, was very wealthy. Odysseus said that he would not kill Dolon if he told the two of them why he was spying on the Greeks. Dolon told Odysseus everything he needed to know, including his potential prize, before Odysseus explained to him that he had been tricked by Hector; only Achilles had the ability to control the horses that he was to receive. Dolon then informed the two Greeks which Trojan allies were living in which tent and what their strengths were. After this, Odysseus went back on his promise and Dolon wasdecapitated by Diomedes before the two went into the Trojan camp to wreak havoc, slayingRhesus, king ofThrace, and stealing his valuable horses.[2] His sonEumedes, named after Dolon's father, survived the Trojan War to later fight and die by the hand ofTurnus under the command ofAeneas inItaly.[3]
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