The Story of Philoctetes
Philoctetes was the son of Poeas, from Thessaly, and a master archer. When the dying Heracles built his own funeral pyre on Mount Oeta, no one would set it alight except Philoctetes. In gratitude, Heracles gave him his famous bow and arrows, which never missed their mark.
Philoctetes had been one of Helen's suitors, so he joined the Greek expedition against Troy and led seven ships. On the way, he was bitten by a snake while the fleet stopped at a small island. The wound festered and gave off such a terrible smell, and his cries of pain were so constant, that on the advice of Odysseus the Greeks left him behind on the island of Lemnos.
Philoctetes survived alone on Lemnos for ten years, living on the birds he shot with the bow of Heracles. His wound never healed, and his bitterness toward the Greeks who had abandoned him grew year by year. He lived in a cave, nursing both his pain and his anger.
Late in the war, the Greeks learned from a prophecy that Troy could not fall without the bow of Heracles. Odysseus and the young Neoptolemus went to Lemnos to bring Philoctetes back, a mission told in Sophocles' play Philoctetes. In the play, Neoptolemus cannot bring himself to deceive the suffering man, and only the appearance of Heracles, now a god, persuades Philoctetes to go to Troy.
At Troy, Philoctetes was healed at last by a son of Asclepius. He joined the fighting and shot Paris with the arrows of Heracles, helping bring the war to its end. In some tellings he later sailed to southern Italy and founded cities there, and his story remains a powerful tale of suffering, loyalty and betrayal.
Famous Myths About Philoctetes
Lighting the Pyre of Heracles
When the dying Heracles built his own funeral pyre, no one would set it alight except Philoctetes. In gratitude Heracles gave him his famous bow and arrows.
Abandoned on Lemnos
On the way to Troy, Philoctetes was bitten by a snake, and the wound festered with such a foul smell that the Greeks left him on the island of Lemnos. He survived there alone for ten years, living on birds he shot with his bow.
Return to Troy
A prophecy revealed that Troy could not fall without the bow of Heracles, so Odysseus and Neoptolemus went to bring Philoctetes back. Healed of his wound at last, he joined the war and killed Paris with his arrows.
Philoctetes's Family Tree
Parents of Philoctetes
Partners of Philoctetes
Children of Philoctetes
Frequently Asked Questions About Philoctetes
Who was Philoctetes in Greek mythology?
Philoctetes was a Greek archer who owned the bow and poisoned arrows of Heracles. He played a key role in the final years of the Trojan War.
How did Philoctetes get the bow of Heracles?
When the dying Heracles asked someone to light his funeral pyre on Mount Oeta, Philoctetes was the one who did it. Heracles gave him his bow and arrows as thanks.
Why was Philoctetes left on Lemnos?
On the way to Troy, Philoctetes was bitten by a snake, and the wound smelled so terrible that the Greeks abandoned him on the island of Lemnos. Ten years later a prophecy said Troy could not fall without his bow, so they brought him back, and he killed Paris.
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