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Protesilaus, a MythSource painting
Greek

Protesilaus

First To Land At Troy · First To Die At Troy · Hero Of Phylace

01Identity

Protesilaus in Greek tradition

Protesilaus landed first among the Greek warriors at Troy after being warned that the first man ashore would die. He was a hero of Phylace who killed many Trojans before Hector killed him as the battle reached the Greek ships. After his death, Laodameia’s devotion led her to ask the gods to return him from Hades, but he could remain only briefly before dying again.

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Protesilaus?

    Protesilaus is a Greek hero associated with warrior valor and battlefield death; sea voyages and first landings; heroic cult and the honoured dead; marital devotion and grief; and local protection of Phylace and Elaeus.
    Source

    Source

    • The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
    • On Greek Religion
    • Bullfinch Mythology - The Age of Fable
    • Classical Mythology a to Z

  • What is Protesilaus associated with?

    Protesilaus is associated with warrior valor and battlefield death; sea voyages and first landings; heroic cult and the honoured dead; marital devotion and grief; and local protection of Phylace and Elaeus.
    Source

    Source

    • The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
    • On Greek Religion
    • Bullfinch Mythology - The Age of Fable
    • Classical Mythology a to Z

  • What family links are recorded for Protesilaus?

    Father: Iphiclus, Mother: Diomedea, Spouse: Laodamia.
02Family

Protesilaus’s family, at a glance

IphiclusDiomedea
Protesilaus

with Laodamia, Polydora

03The names

The names Protesilaus answers to

Protesilaos

Greek form of the hero's name

SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

First To Land At Troy

The first Greek warrior to disembark at Troy

SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

First To Die At Troy

The first Greek warrior killed in the Trojan War

SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

Phylacian Hero

The hero associated with Phylace in Thessaly

SourceThe Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)

04The myths

The myths of Protesilaus

2 myths, with sources recorded for each.

Protesilaus Is the First Greek to Land at Troy

The Greek fleet left Tenedos and sailed towards Troy. Odysseus and Menelaos went ahead to demand the return of Helen and the treasures. The Trojans summoned an assembly and refused. They even wanted to kill the envoys, but Antenor saved them. The Greeks took up their arms and sailed to attack the Trojans.

The Trojans learned that the fleet was approaching and hurried to the sea under arms. They threw stones to prevent the Greeks from landing. Thetis had warned Achilles not to be the first to disembark, because the first man ashore would be the first to die. The Greek ships raced towards the beach. Protesilaus, the husband of Laodamia, was the first Greek to leave his ship. He leapt ashore and killed many of the Trojans, but Hector killed him.

The Greeks turned and ran towards their ships. The Trojans began to strip the armour from the slain, but Hector ordered them to leave the spoils and drove them towards the fleet. They crossed the ditch that guarded the ships, boarded them, and attacked with swords and axes. Hector carried a lighted torch and tried to set fire to Ajax's ship. Ajax held him back with his spear and killed a Trojan whose torch fell from his hand. The dead fell in heaps as the battle continued around the ships.

Protesilaus Is the First Greek to Land at Troy, a MythSource painting of the scene

3 sources· checked 2026-08-19

  1. 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
  2. 2Apollodorus, The LibraryT1

    Quote

    “The first Greek to land at Troy, Protesilaus, kills many Trojans before Hector kills him.”

    Apollodorus, The Library

  3. 3The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1

Protesilaus Returns from the Dead

The Greek fleet left Tenedos and sailed for Troy. Odysseus and Menelaos went ahead to demand the return of Helen and the treasures. The Trojans refused and wanted to kill the envoys, but Antenor saved them. The Greeks then took up their arms and attacked. Achilles had been warned by Thetis not to be the first to leave his ship, because the first man ashore would be the first to die.

When the Trojans saw the fleet approaching, they hurried to the shore under arms and threw stones at the Greeks. Protesilaus was the first Greek to disembark. He killed many of the Trojans, but Hector killed him. His wife, Laodameia, continued to love him after his death. She prayed that he might be released from Hades for a limited time.

The gods granted her request. In the usual account, Zeus allowed Protesilaus to return, or Persephone released him through Hermes. Protesilaus came back from the dead and reunited with Laodameia. Their time together was brief. When the appointed period ended, he had to return to the Underworld. In one account, Laodameia prayed for three hours with him and could not endure her sorrow when he died for the second time.

Protesilaus Returns from the Dead, a MythSource painting of the scene

3 sources· checked 2026-08-19

  1. 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
  2. 2The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
  3. 3Apollodorus, The LibraryT1

    Quote

    “Laodameia's prayer brings Protesilaus up from Hades for a time, but he returns there after rejoining her.”

    Apollodorus, The Library

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Protesilaus, each on that figure’s page.