Diomedes in Italy - Aftermath of the Trojan War (Greek Mythology)

At the beginning of the 12th century BCE, the Achaean fleet numbering over 1,000 ships took off for Troy in what became the most legendary military conflict of antiquity. After ten grueling years and heavy losses on both sides, the sons of Achaea defeated the Trojans and burned the city to the ground. The great defenders of Ilion, such as Hector, Paris, were all among the fallen. The Achaean casualties included Achilles, the greatest hero of all, but also Patroclus, Ajax, Antilochus and countless others. Among the survivors, however, were the Achaean king Agamemnon and heroes such as Odysseus, Menelaus, Nestor and Diomedes. Diomedes was a ruler of Argos and one of the most formidable Achaean champions, considered second only to Achilles. In the aftermath of the war, most if not all of the remaining Achaeans were in some way or form punished by the Olympian gods for various atrocities and offenses committed during the campaign. In this episode, we go through the life of Diomedes after the Trojan War and his exploits in Italy. As the great city of Ilion was burnt down, the Trojan War was over and the Achaean leaders were discussing their return home. There were several disagreements over bad omens. Various atrocities and sacrileges committed by the Achaeans over the course of the conflict meant that divine repercussions were certain. Agamemnon decided to wait. Each Achaean leader, however, got a free hand to decide on their own return as they wished. Diomedes of Argos and Nestor of Phelos decided to leave immediately together with their followers. Shortly afterwards, huge storm descended upon those who stayed, further complicating their voyages. Diomedes, on the other hand, was one of the rare Achaeans to return home quickly and safely, arriving to Argos only four days after his departure from Asia. That, however, did not mean that he was free of misfortunes. During the war, Diomedes had been involved in the death of Palamedes, an Achaean hero accused of treason and killed by his comrades. In revenge, Palamedes' father, Neoplius of Euboea, spread rumors across Greece that some of the Achaeans, including Diomedes, were unfaithful to their wives and intended to replace them with concubines upon return. In Argos, that did not sit well with Diomedes' wife, Aigialia. As a result, she herself had taken a lover, Camites, and rallied the Argives against her husband. In one version of the story, Diomedes was denied entrance to the city. In another, he had to take refuge at the altar of Hera and subsequently leave the city to save himself. The great Diomedes was thus forced to depart Argolis with his remaining companions, which reportedly included Dorians. Diomedes sailed for Italy, to northern Apulia on the Adriatic coast. The region was inhabited by a tribe of Daunians ruled by King Daunos. Daunos was honored to accommodate such a renowned hero. He then pleaded with Diomedes to help him in his war against the neighboring Mesapians. In exchange for help, Daunos promised Diomedes a share of the land and marriage to his daughter, Ewipe. The Argive hero eventually agreed and waged war on the Mesapi. During the campaign, Diomedes proved very successful and justified the reputation he carried from Troy. The Argive force routed the Mesapians and inflicted crushing defeat upon them. The tribes of Moadi and Ardi were destroyed by Diomedes, together with the cities of Apina and Trica. The victorious hero then returned to Daunia, where the king honored his word and gave him part of the land as promised. The land was then reportedly distributed by Diomedes to his Dorian followers. Diomedes then married Princess Ewipe, with whom he had two sons, Diomedes the Younger and Amphinimus. Due to his victory in war and also alliance with King Daunos, Diomedes was now the most powerful man in southern Italy, at least judging by the free hand he had as he founded city after city whenever he wished across the region. He first founded Argos Hippion in Daunia, but the whole realm of which he was overlord reportedly spanned all the way across all of Apulia, including Peusetia, Mesapia and even beyond. Greek and Roman tradition had Diomedes as the founder of numerous Italian cities. Aegum Tuticum, Beneventum, then known as Maleventum, Brundisium, Canucium, Benarfum, Salapia, Spina, Garganum, Sipus, Histonium and Aphrodisia to the Romans, known as Venusia. According to Vergilius's poem Aeneid, written in the 1st century BCE, Diomedes' realm was vast and prosperous. During his reign a war broke out in central Italy between Rutuli on one side and Latens and the surviving Trojan refugees on another. The Trojans had arrived to Latium under Prince Aeneas, where he was welcomed and allowed to settle by King Latinus. When Latinus decided to marry his daughter Lavinia to Aeneas, he broke a previously made promise to the Rutulian king Turnus. Turnus then declared war and turned towards Diomedes for assistance. When Turnus approached Diomedes to aid him, the Argive hero turned him down, stating that he had enough of war with the Trojans and instead wanted to live in peace in Italy. Shortly afterwards, the Latins also came to Diomedes to seek help. The Latin messengers reportedly found Diomedes erecting walls at his newly founded city of Agriripa. They too returned empty-handed. Diomedes was done with wars. There are several different traditions regarding Diomedes' death, at least four as recorded by Strabo in the 1st century. The first tradition recalls Diomedes withdrawing to the island of Diomedea, where he died and subsequently achieved immortality. The second tells that he stayed in the city of Urium, where he eventually died of old age. Another version tells of Diomedes overseeing a canal being made at Urium, before he was summoned home to Argos. He left the city and the project unfinished, and thus went to Argos, where he eventually died. And the fourth version comes from the tribe of Haneti, which said that he had spent his last days in their land. Legend has it that after his death, the albatrosses got together and started singing, and that his companions were afterwards turned into birds. In the historical times, a tomb located on the Diomedean islands off the Apulian coast was believed to be the tomb of Diomedes. His cult of worship as a divine hero existed especially throughout Italy, among the cities of Magna Graecia, Apulia, and along the Adriatic coast, but also on the Greek mainland, and even Cyprus. At Argos, Diomedes' home city, he was honored during the festival of Athena. His statue was washed in the river Inicus. His shield was carried through the streets as a relic, along with a palladium which he had taken from Troy. This was OneXTV, and we'll see you again soon.