Source-groundedThe Iliad
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Character · Individual

Deiphobus

Published entity metadata

Read-only identity and editorial metadata.

Canonical name
Deiphobus
Disambiguator
None
Kind
Character
Scope
Individual
Editorial note
Named as one of Priam’s two sons leading the third company.

Aliases

0

No aliases recorded.

Location presence

Phase 6 currently covers 24 processed books.

1
Troy1 observation
·Reported

Hector realizes and reports that Deiphobus is within Troy’s wall.

See evidence text
“I deemed that the hero Deiphobus was by my side, but he is within the wall”

Claims

8
·Direct

Deiphobus advances under his round shield, sees Meriones’s cast, and holds the shield away; the ox-hide orb catches the cast and the spear breaks before piercing it.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus son of Priam went about among them intent on deeds of daring with his round shield before him, under cover of which he strode quickly forward. Meriones took aim at him with a spear, nor did he fail to hit the broad orb of ox-hide; but he was far from piercing it for the spear broke in two pieces long ere he could do so; moreover Deiphobus had seen it coming and had held his shield well away from him.”
·Direct

Deiphobus attacks to avenge Asius; his cast misses Idomeneus and strikes Hypsenor in the liver.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus then came close up to Idomeneus to avenge Asius, and took aim at him with a spear, but Idomeneus was on the look-out and avoided it, for he was covered by the round shield he always bore—a shield of oxhide and bronze with two arm-rods on the inside. He crouched under cover of this, and the spear flew over him, but the shield rang out as the spear grazed it, and the weapon sped not in vain from the strong hand of Deiphobus, for it struck Hypsenor son of Hippasus, shepherd of his people, in the liver under the midriff, and his limbs failed beneath him.”
·Direct

Deiphobus weighs fighting alone against fetching help and chooses to recruit Aeneas.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus was in two minds, whether to go back and fetch some other Trojan to help him, or to take up the challenge single-handed. In the end, he deemed it best to go and fetch Aeneas”
·Direct

Deiphobus casts at retreating Idomeneus, misses, and sends the spear through Ascalaphus’s shoulder.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus aimed a spear at him as he was retreating slowly from the field, for his bitterness against him was as fierce as ever, but again he missed him, and hit Ascalaphus, the son of Mars; the spear went through his shoulder”
·Direct

Deiphobus takes Ascalaphus’s helmet but is speared in the arm and carried away groaning, bleeding, and in pain.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus tore the helmet from off his head, but Meriones sprang upon him, and struck him on the arm with a spear so that the visored helmet fell from his hand and came ringing down upon the ground. Thereon Meriones sprang upon him like a vulture, drew the spear from his shoulder, and fell back under cover of his men. Then Polites, own brother of Deiphobus passed his arms around his waist, and bore him away from the battle till he got to his horses that were standing in the rear of the fight with the chariot and their driver. These took him towards the city groaning and in great pain, with the blood flowing from his arm.”
·Direct

Deiphobus has been struck and wounded by the Argives.

See evidence text
“looking everywhere to find Deiphobus and prince Helenus, Adamas son of Asius, and Asius son of Hyrtacus; living, indeed, and scatheless he could no longer find them, for the two last were lying by the sterns of the Achaean ships, slain by the Argives, while the others had been also stricken and wounded by them”
·Reported

Alexandrus reports that Deiphobus left the field alive with a wounded hand.

See evidence text
“Deiphobus and King Helenus alone have left the field, wounded both of them in the hand”
·Reported

Hector calls Deiphobus his dearest brother and praises what he believes is Deiphobus’s venture outside the wall for him.

See evidence text
“you have always been dearest to me of all my brothers, children of Hecuba and Priam, but henceforth I shall rate you yet more highly, inasmuch as you have ventured outside the wall for my sake”

Additional evidence

Evidence records not already represented by a claim.

5
·Direct
“the third by Helenus and Deiphobus, two sons of Priam”
·Direct
“Deiphobus son of Priam”
·Disguised
“Minerva left him and went after Hector in the form and with the voice of Deiphobus”
·Direct
“I deemed that the hero Deiphobus was by my side, but he is within the wall”
·Direct
“Then he called to his sons, upbraiding Helenus, Paris, noble Agathon, Pammon, Antiphonus, Polites of the loud battle-cry, Deiphobus, Hippothous, and Dius.”

Passage preview

Book 12 · Passage 4

Thus spoke Polydamas and his saying pleased Hector, who sprang in full armour to the ground, and all the other Trojans, when they saw him do so, also left their chariots. Each man then gave his horses over to his charioteer in charge to hold them ready for him at the trench. Then they formed themselves into companies, made themselves ready, and in five bodies followed their leaders. Those that went with Hector and Polydamas were the bravest and most in number, and the most determined to break through the wall and fight at the ships. Cebriones was also joined with them as third in command, for Hector had left his chariot in charge of a less valiant soldier. The next company was led by Paris, Alcathous, and Agenor; the third by Helenus and Deiphobus, two sons of Priam, and with them was the hero Asius—Asius, the son of Hyrtacus, whose great black horses of the breed that comes from the river Selleis had brought him from Arisbe. Aeneas, the valiant son of Anchises, led the fourth; he and the two sons of Antenor, Archelochus and Acamas, men well versed in all the arts of war. Sarpedon was captain over the allies, and took with him Glaucus and Asteropaeus whom he deemed most valiant after himself—for he was far the best man of them all. These helped to array one another in their ox-hide shields, and then charged straight at the Danaans, for they felt sure that they would not hold out longer and that they should themselves now fall upon the ships.