Memnon

Memnon was the son of the goddess Eos and Prince Tithonus of Troy. He ascended to the Aethiopian throne by virtue of him being son-in-law to his predecessor; Polyctor. He led forces in support of his homeland during the Trojan War, where he killed Antilochus, son of King Nestor of Pylos, avenging the death of his friend Aesop. He declines a challenge from Nestor, saying it is improper for him to fight a man of such an age. Memnon is later stabbed by Achilles after a full day of fighting. In his honor, Zeus collected all his blood and formed a river from it, which bore the stench of rotten flesh on the anniversary of his death.

Description
Memnon's army is described as being too big to be counted and his arrival starts a huge banquet in his honor. As per usual the two leaders (Memnon and Priam) end the dinner by exchanging glorious war stories, and Memnon's tales lead Priam to declare that the Aethiopian King will be Troy's savior.

Despite this, Memnon is very humble and warns that his strength will, he hopes, be seen in battle, although he believes it is unwise to boast at dinner. Before the next day's battle, so great is the divine love towards Memnon that Zeus makes all the other Olympians promise not to interfere in the fighting.

Legacy
The name "Memnon" means "ruler of dawn". Memnon has lent his name to the Colossi of Memnon; two large statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III near Luxor. This is because they were reputed to make a sound at or soon after dawn.