Laomedon

Laomedon (Λαομέδον) was the son of Ilus, the founder of Troy, and of Eurydice. Laomedon became king of Ilium (Troy) after his father's death.

The new king married Strymo, Placia or Leucippe. Whichever woman he married, he was the father of Podarces (Priam) and many other sons. He had at least one daughter, Hesione. His son Tithonus was abducted by Eos, goddess of dawn, and taken to Ethiopia or Syria. The goddess bore him a son, Memnon.

Laomedon was known for his arrogance and his impiety, and as a king who refused to honor his promises.

Poseidon and Apollo, possibly punished for rebelling against Zeus, had to work for one year for a mortal. The two gods disguised themselves as builders, and they were hired to work alongside a mortal, Aeacus, son of Zeus and Aegina, (father of Peleus and Telamon), to build the walls of Troy. Poseidon and Apollo wanted the vine of gold as payment for their work. Laomedon agreed.

The walls built by Poseidon and Apollo were impregnable, while those built by Aeacus were not. The Scaean Gates were the main entrance to Troy; it was here that Paris (with Apollo's help) mortally wounded Achilles. The other entrance was called the Dardan Gates or the Dardanian Gates.

After the gods finished building the walls, Laomedon refused to pay their wages for their services. Apollo caused a plague within the city, while Poseidon sent a sea-monster to ravage the Trojan countryside.

The seers told Laomedon that land would be spared, if the king would sacrifice his daughter to the sea-monster. Chaining his daughter Hesione to a rock, Laomedon waited for the monster to arrive.

Returning from performing the ninth labour (fetching the girdle of Hippolyte), Heracles stopped at Troy. Learning what was about to happen, Heracles wanted Laomedon's immortal horses in exchange for rescuing his daughter. Laomedon agreed. After killing the monster, Laomedon again refused to pay as he had promised. Angry at the Trojan king's betrayal of his promise, Heracles planned to return with an army after he finished performing the twelve labours.

Heracles raised an army in Tiryns, and the Argonaut hero Telamon of Salamis, son of Aeacus, joined the hero. After capturing the city, Laomedon was killed, along with many of his sons, and Heracles gave Heisone to Telamon as a concubine.

Heracles allowed Hesione to ransom one captive. Hesione ransomed her youngest and only surviving brother Podarces, offering her veil as ransom. Podarces became king of Troy and changed his name to Priam, which means "Ransom". Priam was also Troy's last king.