Talos

In Greek mythology, Talos, also spelled Talus (/ˈteɪlɒs/; Greek: Τάλως, Tálōs) or Talon (/ˈteɪlɒn, ən/; Greek: Τάλων, Tálōn), was a man of bronze who protected Crete from pirates and invaders. Despite the popular idea that he was a giant, no ancient source states this explicitly.

Different literary sources provide a wide variety of accounts of Talos' role and genealogy. The most popular variant of the myth of Talos is that found in the Argonautica of Apollonius of Rhodes (fl. first half of 3rd century BCE). In this account, Talos is described as being a descendant of the bronze race (χαλκοῦ γένους) who sprang from ash-trees. He is described as being bronze and also invulnerable with the exception of a vein in his ankle which was protected by only a thin layer of skin.

He was given to Europa by Zeus in order to protect Crete, which he does by running around the island three times. The Argonauts encounter him on their return voyage after obtaining the Golden Fleece. As the Argo approached Crete, Talos kept them at bay by hurling great boulders at the ship. Medea then declares that only she will be able to defeat Talos, which she does by performing a feat of magic from the Argo. Summoning the keres (female death-spirits), Medea causes Talos to graze his ankle, leading to the ichor draining from his body, and thus killing him. In describing his death Apollonius employs a metaphor comparing Talos to a 'monstrous pine tree' (πελωρίη πεύκη, pelōriē peukē) being felled, which could be taken to imply a larger-than-human size.

Pseudo-Apollodorus collected several traditions regarding the origin, form, and death of Talos. In relation to his origin, two theories are given: either he belonged to the Race of Bronze, or he had been given to Minos by Hephaestus (no reason is given). Another two theories are provided regarding his form: he was either a bull or a bronze man. Pseudo-Apollodorus further states that Talos guarded Crete by running around the island three times daily and that he had a single vein running from his neck to his ankles, which was stopped with a bronze nail at the end.

Pseudo-Apollodorus also gives three variants regarding his death. The first two are at the hands of Medea: either she drove him mad with drugs, or, promising to making him immortal, she pulled the nail from his ankle, which caused the ichor to flow out. The final variant is that he was killed by the Argonaut Poeas, who shot an arrow into his ankle.

Artistic sources linking Talos with the Argonauts significantly predate the account of Apollonius. On three kraters from around 400 BCE, his death at the hands of the Argonauts is depicted. One red-figure vase, now in the Jatta National Archaeological Museum, is the name vase of the Talos Painter. It shows Talos falling backwards, into the arms of the Dioskouroi. In order to distinguish his form from that of the other figures on the vase, Talos is painted in white, with details painted in brown and yellow. To the left stands Medea, holding a bowl, and looking across at Talos. Behind her is the Argo, with two more seated figures, inscribed as Zetes and Calais, whilst a third, unnamed figure, disembarks. To the right, the seated figures of Poseidon and Amphitrite look on. Below them a woman, identified by some as a representation of Crete, and by others as Europa, is shown fleeing from the scene.

Another vase, from Caudium (modern Montesarchio), has been identified as depicting the death of Talos. A bearded Talos, slightly larger than the other figures, falls to the right, into the arms of the Dioskouroi. An unnamed youth kneels to the left, tightly holding an implement of some sort with which he is manipulating a small, circular object — potentially a nail — on Talos's ankle. A woman stands behind the youth, bending down towards him. One arm is obscured, but in the other she holds a bowl. Behind her stands another unnamed woman. Suggestions as to her identity include a representation of Crete as a nymph or an attendant of Medea's. A small, winged, and bearded figure hovers next to Talos's ankle, gesturing closely to the site with the circular object. This figure is probably Thanatos.

A third, fragmentary vase from Spina shows the same scene, with a very similar composition to the Motesarchio vase. Talos whose head and feet have not been preserved, is depicted in white, and is falling backwards into the arms of two men, most probably the Dioskouroi. To his left a crouching female figure, mostly lost but labelled by an inscription as Medea, holds a blade in one hand and a box resting on her knee in the other. To the right of Talos's lower leg is a small, winged, male figure, stretching his arms as if gesturing to Talos's ankle. An unnamed female figure stands further to the right, but the head and torso are not preserved. The small figure and the unnamed female figure have sometimes been interpreted as Eros and Aphrodite but the winged figure is more probably Thanatos and the identification of Aphrodite is unlikely.