| Iolaus | |
|---|---|
Charioteer ofHeracles | |
 Heracles and his nephew, Iolaus. 1st century BC mosaic from the Anzio Nymphaeum,Rome. | |
| Abode | Thebes |
| Parents | Iphicles andAutomedusa |
| Consort | Megara |
| Offspring | Leipephilene |
InGreek mythology,Iolaus (/aɪoʊˈleɪəs/;Ancient Greek: ἸόλαοςIólāos) was aTheban divine hero. He was famed for beingHeracles's charioteer and squire, and for helping with some of hisLabors, as well as for being one of theArgonauts.
Iolaus was the son ofIphicles andAutomedusa, daughter of KingAlcathous ofMegara. According toPlutarch, Heracles gave his wife,Megara, age thirty three, to Iolaus, then only sixteen years old.[1] According to Pausanias, who cites Hesiod as the source, they had a daughter,Leipephilene,[2] though the name is corrupt and has been amended by various editors to "Leipephile" (Λειπεφίλη), "Hippophile" (Ἱπποφίλη) or "Deiphile" (Δηιφίλη).[3] Through this daughter, Iolaus was considered to have fathered the mythic and historic line of the kings ofCorinth, ending withTelestes.[citation needed]
Iolaus often acted as Heracles's charioteer and companion. Plutarch, describing theThebanSacred Band in his life ofPelopidas, said "It is a tradition likewise that Iolaus, who assisted Hercules in his labours and fought at his side, was beloved of him; and Aristotle observes that, even in his time, lovers plighted their faith at Iolaus's tomb."[4][5]
Plutarch also described Heracles's male lovers in theAmatorius, saying there were too many to count, but that Iolaus andAdmetus were two of the most notable. He said that Iolaus was honored by many for this love, and that it was popular for lovers to make reciprocal vows of affection at his tomb.[6]
Iolaus provided essential help to Heracles in his battle against theHydra, his secondlabor. Seeing that Heracles was being overwhelmed by the multi-headed monster (the Lernaean Hydra), who grew two heads in place of each one cut off, Iolaus helped bycauterizing each neck as Heracles beheaded it.
According toDiodorus Siculus, Iolaus was sent byHeracles toSardinia, together with nine of the sons that he had with the fifty daughters ofThespius (theThespiades), to colonize the island, giving rise to theIolei people.[7]
Iolaus and the Thespians were buried in Sardinia.[citation needed]
Aristotle said that Sardinia had practiced the rite ofincubation, which is the liberation ritual of the people who were affected bynightmares and obsessions. These rituals included that the persons suffering from nightmares should sleep next to the tombs of heroes.[8]
Simplicius of Cilicia adds, in the eight books of the CommentariesAristotle, that "the places where they were deposited and preserved corpses of the nine heroes that Heracles got from the Thespians and who came to Sardinia with the colony of Iolaus, became the famous oracles."[9]
Solinus says: "TheIolians, so named by him (Iolaus), added a temple to his tomb, because he had freed Sardinia from many ills".[10]
The Thebangymnasium was named after Iolaus because it was next to his tomb and theHeracleia, an annual festival in honor of Heracles, was held there, hence also known asIolaeia,Iolaia orIolaea (Greek:Ιολάεια), an athletic festival consisting of gymnastic and equestrian events.[11] The victors at theIolaea were crowned with garlands ofmyrtle.[12]
A genus ofLycaenid butterfly has beennamed after him.[citation needed]
Anexoplanet around star HAT-P-42 (now namedLerna) is named after him as part of theIAU'sNameExoWorlds project.[13]
Media related toIolaus at Wikimedia Commons