Endeis

Endeis was the wife of King Aeacus of Aegina in Greek mythology and the mother of Peleus and Telamon. Most sources call her the daughter of Sciron, and she is best known for the death of her stepson Phocus, for which her sons were driven from the island.

Family

Apollodorus says that Aeacus married Endeis, the daughter of Sciron, and had by her two sons, Peleus and Telamon (Library 3.12.6). Plutarch gives her mother as Chariclo and says that Sciron was the son-in-law of Cychreus and the father-in-law of Aeacus (Plutarch, Theseus 10.3). Pausanias likewise calls Peleus and Telamon sons of the daughter of Sciron (Description of Greece 2.29.9). Apollodorus also reports that Pherecydes made Telamon not a brother of Peleus but a friend, the son of Actaeus and Glauce (Library 3.12.6).

Aeacus was also the father of Phocus, whose mother was the sea-nymph Psamathe, a daughter of Nereus (Apollodorus, Library 3.12.6). Pausanias adds that, if the Greek report is true, Phocus’ mother was a sister of Thetis; Endeis was therefore not his mother (Pausanias 2.29.9).

The Death of Phocus

Phocus excelled at athletics, and his half-brothers Peleus and Telamon plotted against him. In Apollodorus’ account the lot fell to Telamon, who killed Phocus during a competition by throwing a quoit at his head, and with Peleus’ help hid the body in a wood. The murder was discovered, and Aeacus drove both brothers out of Aegina (Library 3.12.6).

Pausanias, who saw the grave of Phocus on Aegina, tells it a little differently: the brothers persuaded Phocus to compete in the pentathlon, and it was Peleus who hit him with the quoit on purpose, “to please their mother”, because Phocus was not her son. After the blow the sons of Endeis boarded a ship and fled (Pausanias 2.29.9–10). Pausanias also says that Telamon later sent a herald to deny that he had plotted the death, but Aeacus would not let him land and told him to defend himself from his ship or from a mole raised in the sea; Telamon built the mole at night in the harbour called Secret, was condemned all the same, and sailed to Salamis (Pausanias 2.29.10). In Diodorus the death is an accident: Peleus killed Phocus while hurling a discus and was banished by his father (Diodorus Siculus 4.72.6).

Endeis’ Sons

After the exile Telamon settled on Salamis (Pausanias 2.29.10), while Peleus went to Phthia in Thessaly. Peleus became the father of Achilles by Thetis, and Telamon the father of Ajax (Diodorus Siculus 4.72.6–7). The ancient accounts do not say what became of Endeis herself.

Endeis Sources

Apollodorus, Library 3.12.6; Plutarch, Theseus 10.3; Pausanias 2.29.9–10; Diodorus Siculus 4.72.6–7.

See Also: Aeacus, Peleus, Telamon, Phocus, Psamathe