Tekmessa (daughter of Teleutas)

Tekmessa ( ancient Greek Τέκμησσα Tékmēssa ) is in Greek mythology the daughter of the Phrygian king Teleutas , who is called Teuthras in Dictys Cretensis .

Ajax took her as spoils of war after killing her father, according to Dicty. He later fell in love with her and treated her like his wife. Marriage was out of the question because of her non-Greek origin. Their son was called Eurysakes . Ajax put his upbringing in the hands of his half-brother Teukros before he committed suicide . Tradition is silent about Tekmessa's later fate. In his tragedy Aias , Sophocles upgraded her to be Ajax's loyal companion.

Tekmessa:

Lord Aias!

There is no greater evil for man

As a coercion imposed on him. - I was

Born the daughter of a free man

Mighty in wealth like only one in the Phrygian people.

Now I am a slave. Because that's the way it is

Please the gods and especially your hand.

Sophocles, Aias (translation: Wolfgang Schadewaldt )

literature

• Hermann Easter : Tekmessa 1) . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 5, Leipzig 1924, Col. 211-213 ( digitized version ).