Meriones ( mə-RY-ə-neez; Ancient Greek: Μηριόνης, romanized: Mēriónēs) was the Cretan son of Molus and Melphis or Euippe in Greek mythology. Molus was a half-brother of Idomeneus. Like other heroes of mythology, Meriones was said to be a descendant of gods: as a grandson of Deucalion (son of Minos), Meriones had as ancestors Zeus, Europa, Helios, and Pasiphae, the sister of Circe. Meriones inherited from his father the helmet of Amyntor, which Autolycus had stolen, and which he later gave to Odysseus. Meriones killed seven men at Troy.
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Description
Meriones was described by the chronicler Malalas in his account of the Chronography as "shortish, wide, white, good beard, big eyes, black hair, curly hair, flat face, bent nose, quick-moving, magnanimous, a warrior". Meanwhile, in the account of Dares the Phrygian, he was illustrated as ". . . auburn-haired, of moderate height, with a well-proportioned body. He was robust, swift, unmerciful, and easily angered."
Mythology
Prior to The Iliad
Hyginus lists Meriones as one of the suitors of Helen. This would have made him oath-bound to participate in the Trojan War. However other ancient authorities, including the Bibliotheca and Hesiod, do not include him in the list.
The Iliad
Though not usually numbered among the major characters, Meriones is one of the most powerful characters in Homer's Iliad. He exemplifies the attributes of a hero without the hubris or pride of one (see below). Meriones is mentioned in Books II, IV, V, VII, VIII, IX, X, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII. He is recorded to have killed Phereclus the son of Tecton (Book V), Adamas the son of Asius (Book XIII), Harpalion son of King Pylaemenes (Book XIII), Morys (Book XIV), Hippotion (Book XIV), Acamas (Book XVI), Laogonus son of Onetor (Book XVI), and wounded Deiphobus son of Priam (Book XIII).
The first reference to Meriones in the Iliad is in the Catalog of Ships in Book II. There he is listed alongside Idomeneus as one of the leaders of the eighty ships from Crete. He is described here and in Books VIII and XIII as a "peer of murderous Ares".
Meriones is among those who volunteered to fight Hector in single combat. The others were Agamemnon, Diomedes, Telamonian Ajax, Ajax the Lesser, Idomeneus, Eurypylus (son of Euaemon), Thoas, and Odysseus. Lots were cast to determine who among these would fight and Telamonian Ajax was chosen.
Meriones, along with Nestor's son Thrasymedes, were charged to serve as sentinels for the Achaean army during a period of Trojan advance. Later that night, Nestor called for a volunteer spy among the captains and Diomedes stepped forward. A volunteer was then requested to join Diomedes and Meriones was among the volunteers. The two Ajaxes, Thrasymedes, Menelaus, and Odysseus also volunteered. Diomedes chose Odysseus. As Odysseus was inadequately armed, Meriones acquired a bow and arrows for him and gave him the helm of Amyntor.
After casting his spear at Deiphobus, but failing to pierce his shield, Meriones returned to his tent to get a new spear. He met Idomeneus there:
"Meriones, fleet son of Molus, best of comrades, why have you left the field? Are you wounded, and is the point of the weapon hurting you? or have you been sent to fetch me? I want no fetching; I had far rather fight than stay in my tent."
"Idomeneus," answered Meriones, "I come for a spear, if I can find one in my tent; I have broken the one I had, in throwing it at the shield of Deiphobus."
Posthomerica
Meriones is also a prominent character in Quintus Smyrnaeus's Posthomerica, his epic poem, telling the story of the Trojan War, from the death of Hector to the fall of Troy. In Book 1, Meriones kills the Amazons, Evandre and Thermodosa. In Book 6, with Teucer, Idomeneus, Thoas and Thrasymedes, he comes to the rescue of Agamemnon and Menelaus and kills the Paeonian warrior, Laophoon. in Book 8, Meriones kills Chlemus, the son of Peisenor, and kills Phylodamas with an arrow, and in Book 11 he kills Lycon. In Book 12, Meriones is one of the Greeks to enter Troy inside the Trojan Horse.
Lindos Chronicle
The Lindos Chronicle describes a dedication attributed to Meriones, who supposedly dedicated a silver quiver, at the temple to Athena at Lindos with the inscription "Meriones the son of Molos, spoils of those from Troy".
In Gluck's opera
Christoph Willibald Gluck gave Meriones a role in his 1765 opera Telemaco, making this character involved in Odysseus's wanderings after the Trojan War (which is not attested in Homer's original Odyssey on which the opera was based).