Palamedes



Palamedes (Ancient Greek: Παλαμήδης (Palamḗdēs)) was a Prince of Euboea and son of King Nauplius. Palamedes tricked Odysseus into going to war at Troy.

Palamedes was a suitor of Helene and invented the consonants of the Greek alphabet, coinage, jokes, measures and dice. He was one of those who swore to support Menelaus if someone abducted Helen, so was Odysseus, who wed Penelope (Helen's cousin). However, Odysseus knew if he went away to Troy he wouldn't return for 20 years, so he pretended to be insane, by ploughing his fields with salt. Palamedes saw through the ruse and placed Odysseus' infant son Telemachus before the plough. Odysseus maneuvered around the baby, thus proving he was still sane. Odysseus remembered Palamedes' trick and took revenge at Troy by hiding gold in Palamedes' tent, and forging a letter from Priam. Odysseus then went to Agamemnon, claiming Palamedes was a traitor. Palamedes was tried for treason and was stoned to death during an unfair hearing.

King Nauplius heard of his son's fate and sailed for Troy immediately. He sought audience with Agamemnon, but when the King of Mycenae arrived, he refused Nauplius' case. King Nauplius then sailed back to Greece and, swearing vengeance, persuaded many war leaders' wives to be unfaithful, saying many of them had remarried or died. This inspired Clytaemnestra to commit adultery with Aegisthus, Medea with Leucos and Aegiale with Cometes. Also, he lit signal fires on the rocky coast of Euboea, luring many ships to a watery grave.