View source for Teucer

{{Short description|Greek mythical figure}}
{{About| Teucer, son of King Telamon of Salamis|Teucer, son of Scamander and Idaea|King Teucer|Teucer, the astrologer|Teucer of Babylon}}
[[File:Aphaia pediment Teukros W-IV Glyptothek Munich 77.jpg|thumb|Statue of an archer, traditionally called "Teucer," from the [[Temple of Aphaia]], ca. 505–500 BC.]]
[[File:WLA lacma Teucer.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Teucer by Sir [[William Hamo Thornycroft]]]]

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Teucer''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tj|uː|s|ər}}; {{langx|grc|Τεῦκρος|Teûkros}}, also '''Teucrus''', '''Teucros''' or '''Teucris'''), was the son of King [[Telamon]] of [[Salamis Island]] and his second wife [[Hesione]], daughter of King [[Laomedon]] of [[Troy]]. He fought alongside his half-brother, [[Ajax the Great|Ajax]], in the [[Trojan War]] and is the legendary founder of the city of [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]] on [[Cyprus]]. Through his mother, Teucer was the nephew of King [[Priam]] of Troy and the cousin of [[Hector]] and [[Paris (mythology)|Paris]]—all of whom he fought against in the Trojan War.

==Myths==
During the Trojan War, Teucer was mainly a great [[Archery|archer]], who loosed his shafts from behind the giant shield of his half-brother Ajax the Great. When [[Hector]] was driving the [[Achaeans (Homer)|Achaeans]] back toward their ships, Teucer gave the [[Argives]] some success by killing many of the charging Trojans, including Hector's charioteer, Archeptolemus son of [[Iphitos]]. However, every time he shot an arrow at Hector, [[Apollo]], the protector of the Trojans, would foil the shot.<ref>[[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'' 8. 265 ff., 12.329 ff., 364 ff., 15. 442 ff. & 478 ff.</ref> At one point in his rage at Teucer's success, Hector picked up a huge rock and flung it at him. The rock injured Teucer, so that he retired from the fighting for a time.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 8.320–330</ref> He took up a spear to fight in the war after his bow was broken by Zeus.<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 15.460–480</ref> He once again challenged Hector, and narrowly avoided the path of Hector's flying javelin in the ensuing battle. He was also one of the [[Danaans]] to enter the [[Trojan Horse]]. In total, Teucer slew thirty Trojans during the war;<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' 114</ref> of those Homer mentions [[Aretaon]], [[Orsilochus]], [[Ormenus]], [[Ophelestes]], [[Daetor]], [[Chromius]], [[Lycophontes (mythology)|Lycophontes]], [[Amopaon]], [[Melanippus]], [[Prothoon (mythology)|Prothoon]] and [[Periphetes]],<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 6.30, 8.274 ff. & 14.515</ref> as well as the aforementioned Archeptolemus. He also wounded [[Glaucus (soldier)|Glaucus]], son of [[Hippolochus (mythology)|Hippolochus]].<ref>''Il.'' 12. 387</ref>

After Ajax's suicide, Teucer guarded the body to make sure it was buried, insulting [[Menelaus]] and [[Agamemnon]] when they tried to stop the burial. Finally, [[Odysseus]] persuaded Agamemnon to let the burial happen.<ref>[[Ajax (Sophocles)]]</ref> Because of his half-brother's suicide, Teucer stood trial before his father, where he was found guilty of negligence for not bringing his dead half-brother's body or his arms back with him. He was disowned by his father, was not allowed back on Salamis Island, and set out to find a new home. His departing words were introduced in the seventh ode of the first book of the Roman poet [[Horace|Horace's]] ''Odes'', in which he exhorts his companions "''nil desperandum''", "do not despair", and announces "''cras ingens iterabimus aequor''", "tomorrow we shall set out upon the vast ocean".<ref>[[Horace]], ''[[Odes (Horace)|Odes]]'' 1.7.21 ff.</ref> This speech has been given a wider applicability in relation to the theme of voyages of discovery, also found in the ''[[Ulysses (poem)|Ulysses]]'' of [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Tennyson]].

Teucer eventually joined King [[Belus (Tyre)|Belus]] of [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] in his campaign against Cyprus, and when the island was seized, Belus handed it over to him in reward for his assistance. Teucer founded the city of [[Salamis, Cyprus|Salamis]] on Cyprus, which he named after his home state.<ref>[[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]] on [[Virgil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' 1.619–621</ref> He further married Eune, daughter of [[Cinyras]], king of Cyprus, and had by her a daughter Asteria.<ref>[[Tzetzes]] on [[Lycophron]], 450; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 1.3.2</ref> [[Anaxarete]] of Cyprus was called "a proud princess in the line of Teucer's descendants".<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' 14. p. 583, translated by David Raeburn</ref>

The name Teucer is believed to be related to the name of the West Hittite God Tarku (East Hittite Teshub)—the [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] Storm God—a role which explains his relationship to Belus, who is associated with the Carthaginian god [[Baal Hammon]].<ref>[[Farnell]] "Greece and Babylon:  A Comparative History of Greek, Anatolian and Mesopotamian Religion."</ref>

Local legends of the city of [[Pontevedra]] ([[Galicia (Spain)|Galicia]]) relate the foundation of this city to Teucer (''Teucro''), although this seems to be based more on the suspicions that Greek traders might have reached that area in ancient times,<ref>[http://193.147.33.52/amergin/index.php?page=ireland-in-galicia ''Ireland in Galicia''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529140802/http://193.147.33.52/amergin/index.php?page=ireland-in-galicia |date=2011-05-29 }}, by the [http://193.147.33.52/amergin/index.php?page=what-is-amergin Amergin University Institute of Research in Irish Studies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110901200411/http://193.147.33.52/amergin/index.php?page=what-is-amergin |date=2011-09-01 }}, [[University of A Coruña]]. Access date 01-10-2010</ref> hence introducing a number of Greek stories. The city is sometimes poetically called "The City of Teucer" and its inhabitants ''teucrinos''. A number of sporting clubs in the municipality use names related to Teucer. Some versions of the legend say that Teucer reached Galicia by following a sea nymph or mermaid called Leucoina, while others point to her as the cause of his death, when the hero drowned trying to reach her.

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin}}
* [[Euripides]], ''Euripides II: The Cyclops and Heracles, Iphigenia in Tauris, Helen (The Complete Greek Tragedies) (Vol 4)'', University Of Chicago Press; 1 edition (April 15, 2002). {{ISBN|978-0-226-30781-7}}.
{{Refend}}

* [[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Homer]], [[Iliad|''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. {{ISBN|978-0674995796|}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Homer, ''Homeri Opera'' in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. {{ISBN|978-0198145318|}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0133 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Horace|Quintus Horatius Flaccus]], ''The Odes and Carmen Saeculare of Horace.'' Edition by John Conington. London. George Bell and Sons. 1882. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0025 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Quintus Horatius Flaccus, ''Odes and Epodes''. Edition by Paul Shorey and Gordon J. Laing. Chicago. Benj. H. Sanborn & Co. 1919. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* [[Sophocles]], ''The Ajax of Sophocles e''dited with introduction and notes by Sir Richard Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1893. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0184 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Sophocles, ''Sophocles. Vol 2: Ajax. Electra. Trachiniae. Philoctetes'' with an English translation by F. Storr. The Loeb classical library, 21. Francis Storr. London; New York. William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company. 1913. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0183 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

==External links==
*{{commonscatinline|Teucer}}

{{Characters in the Iliad}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Achaean Leaders]]
[[Category:Mythological Greek archers]]
[[Category:Mythological city founders]]
[[Category:Kings in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:People of the Trojan War]]
[[Category:Mythological Salaminians]]
[[Category:Cypriot mythology]]