Tydeus, Son of Oeneus, father of Diomedes....who fell in the war of the Seven Against Thebes. They all know how you died...
...in a desperate, dying frenzy eating the brain of your enemy; immortality denied. They know how you, as exile, came to Argos and married a daughter of the king, like Polynices, son of Oedipus. And how you soon joined your brother-in-law on his doomed quest to claim his rightful place on the throne of Thebes. How you, as envoy, tried for peace - denied, yet defeated Thebes once? twice? over. In friendly games, then betrayed: fifty against one in nightly ambush against you. Hope for peace was lost. They know how you died in that war, and how your armies failed to take Thebes...and failed even more to reclaim your own throne. They know how your son swore an oath to avenge you. And how ten years later, he, and the other sons of the fallen Seven, warred once more against Thebes; victory on their side. And how your son joined the armies sailing for Troy and how he gained immortal fame.
But who ever asks: "Where did this man come from?", "What lead this man into exile?" Who ever tries to understand?
Well, I shall try, with what I've been given, to tell your tale, and hope to do it justice.
Cursed house of Parthaon, destroyer, son of the god of war. Sons of Parthaon doomed to war each other - outright, and in secrecy - in a frenzy for rulership, a doomed house of fathers who would soon learn to bury their sons. A curse? (What did you do to deserve this fate, I wonder? Or was it simply your ancestors love for bloodshed, that would grant you all this suffering?) Doomed house of Oeneus, in your childrens veins the blood of War ran twice over.
Im starting early in the tale, long before great-hearted Tydeus was born. But you have to know, so you understand in what haunted house Tydeus grew up in, why he became an exile, why he choose the Theban war……
So instead of with you, Tydeus, we will begin our tale with your father Oeneus, son of Parthaon. His two brothers, Melas and Agrius, they have always envied his rule over Calydon, which he secured through his marriage to Althea, (his cousin once removed, descenant of Ares) the daughter of Thestius of Pleuron. Thestius, too, was the father of Leda, mother of Helen, for whom the Trojan war was fought.
Now often have there been wars between Calydon and the Curetes of Pleuron, and for now there was peace. And you Oeneus, you let Dionysos into your house, and turned away your gaze when he caught the attention of your wife and so Deianira was born, (He gifted you a vine for it, and showed you how to plant it.) and Meleager was born to you too, beloved by Ares - cursed to die, when the wood in the fire during his birth was burned.
But then you forgot Artemis in your sacrifices, and she sent you the Calydonian boar, and you called the heroes to defeat the beast. And Atalanta drew first blood. And Meleager killed it and offered its skin as reward to Atalanta. And the brothers of Althea, scorned to hunt with a woman, tried to claim the boar skin for themselves, so in a burst of anger Meleager killed them. And there was war between Calydon and Pleuron & Olenus close by got dragged into it, too. (Olenus: place of birth of Capaneus, who did not stay, but left for Argos scorning his fathers weakness, who would join the Seven Against Thebes, and who would die, blasted by a lighting bolt of Zeus)
And Meleager refused to fight in the war he started, so the war came to the doors of Calydon and nearly the city was sacked. And all his brothers died in that war. And yet he refused to fight, until they begged him. Then he went to war and fended off the armies and fought his way almost all the war to Pleuron with Ares, victory was on his side, when Althea, scared that he would now kill her father too (not just her brothers) burned the wood that held Meleagers life. And Meleager died. And Althea, in horror of what she had done, hung herself. And Meleagers sisters mourning never ceased, and they were turned to birds. Now all but two of Oeneus' children remained: Gorge, and Deianira. And yet the war was not over.
So, begrudgingly - for he feared to loose these, his last children, too - he gave Gorge as wife to Andraemon, a king of Aetolia (was the city he ruled Pylene? Or another nearby?) in return for his miliary support.
And they defeated Pleuron, and Oeneus appointed his brother Agrius to govern the city. And with the thread of Andraemons forces, as well as Calydons, Olenian Hipponous, father of Capaneus and Periboea, sought for peace. Here Oeneus was a guest in Hipponous' halls, and he lay with his daughter Periboea, unknown to all. And Capaneus left the city, in scorn for his fathers refusal of war - he would find a loyal wife and forces in Argos.
Now Oeneus and Hipponous reached an agreement for peace, and Oeneus returned to Calydon. And Deianira married Heracles - Oeneus was relucant to let her go, the last child in his house. But now Periboea was pregnant, and rumor said she had lain with Hippostratus, but she claimed that it was Ares who had joined her bed, though she knew the childs true father. Knowing that Oeneus was bereft of wife and male issue, Hipponous send her, in the end, to Calydon. As price of honor, a peace offering. Trusting that her tales of Ares' involvements would be enough to keep the peace between their cities: for Oeneus lacked a male heir now. And Oeneus took Periboea as wife, and she gave birth to Tydeus, Oeneus' true son. (Did Hipponous suspect? Or was it luck or fate or godly intervention?)
A few years later Olenias was born, younger brother to Tydeus. They grew up in Calydon, the home haunted by the ghosts of Meleager and his brothers who still burned in the memories of their father and the wailing of their bird-sisters could still be heard in the winds. And Melas, brother of Oeneus, and his sons, still envied Oeneus‘ throne, for why had Agrius received a city but not he? Still…the children matured: Tydeus reaches stern adulthood. He was impulsive, and loud and full of life, and somehow he filled the emptiness his dead siblings had left behind, he loved sparring and hunting in the woods, he was fierce and quick to make friends and quick to anger, and quick to forgive those he loved and loyal to his family and country. His little brother was eager to follow after him, striving to be just like him, he was not yet a man, but had nearly left boyhood behind. Both of them were eager to prove themselves.
One day, Tydeus and Olenias went hunting. The Calydonian boar was dead, but there was still plently other game in the woods. They hunted in the forest between Pleuron - their uncles abode - and Calydon. Daring? Sure. Did their parents know they were out alone hunting? Probably not. They were traveling to Pleuron, hunting on their way there. They found their prey. Olenias drew first blood, Tydeus dealt the death blow. And as Tydeus skinned the boar Olenias wandered off.
Night was fast approaching and as fate would have it, the sons of Melas were hunting in the very same forest of their uncle…or maybe they knew the sons of Oeneus were traveling alone. They had not forgotten their fathers desire for the throne. Their own. And doomed Olenias ran into them, as he lost his way in the dark and they convinced him to join their hunt. Its dangerous alone in the forest, don’t you know? Especially so late at night, so they said to him. They promised to help him find Tydeus, once they hunted their game, they knew it was close by…Innocent, unfortunate youth. He trusted them, for his cousins had always treated him fairly before. He could not have known the darkness of their hearts, the plan they formed in brotherly silence the second they saw him stumble through the thicket. Olenias could not have known that they planned to take him to force his father off the throne (wasn’t it easier to string a lie to have the young boy follow them willingly, rather than kidnap him by force?) Little did Olenias know that the game his cousins hunted for was not a boar, not an animal at all, but his older brother: Tydeus, heir of Calydon.
He, in the meantime was looking for Olenias, concerned for his safety in the dark forest. He carried the boar skin on his back, which he had planned to gift to Olenias. After all, it had been the first time his brother had drawn a games blood. But in the rush of the hunt Tydeus had lost track of time. He should have been more careful, he knew, and now he searched for his younger brother.
Melas' sons found him first.
Eight against one, they ambushed him, and Tydeus defended himself, recognizing his cousins and knowing within a heartbeat their reason for the attack, their jealousy that had long been brewing - his anger rose and he killed every one of them, proving himself, but at what cost? - not knowing the brother he had been searching for was in their midsts; confused and caughed unawares by the fray. When the ninth body dropped to the ground, Tydeus stormed to Pleuron where he faced off Agrius, yelling about the ambush, fury born of bitter betrayal driving him into a rage. Yet all the while he kept looking around the halls, expecting to find his brother already there, having found safety in the halls. Upon hearing the news, Agrius however had his heart already fixed on the throne of Calydon, secretly gleeful and his brother Melas' unlucky lot. Tydeus saw the gleam of triumph in the eyes of Agrius, so alike to the one gleaming in the eyes of Melas' sons. So Tydeus asked the men to find the bodies of the men he had slain, to prove his point, and to demand justice for himself. And that they did. Carrying nine bodies, one of them still breathing - barely. Tydeus upon catching sight of his brother Olenias, let out a frightened cry. He tried to rush to Olenias, but they held him back from his brothers still bleeding side. Olenias, barely holding on to life's light, noticed Tydeus and his mouth formed words that did not escape his lips, reaching out with his blood-covered hand. But the youngest prince of Calydon lost his strenght before Tydeus could fight off the grip of the men that held him down, before he could fall down at his side to plead for his forgiveness and before he could ask how he ended up in the fray.
Even before Olenias stops breathing Agrius now already demanded Tydeus' exile.
Tydeus…oh Tydeus, fratricide unwilling, who would believe you now? Did you not also slaughter the sons of your uncle, all of them, in a single night?
And before the words declaring exile were even spoken, Tydeus turned and ran, leaving the gated halls of Pleuron and Calydonian woods behind - to atone for his brothers murder, that was the customx, horror and guilt drove him forth - but there was rage boiling in his gut, for he knew the ambitions of his fathers brothers. Yet he left as exile, deep in his heart set to be back to take his kingdom when the time came.
Leaving Aetolia behind, he wandered through Achaea and Arcadia for months, never quite able to escape the haunting image of his brother dying in his arms, a life he took.
The only thing Tydeus carried with him when he left was what he'd been wearing, his weapons, and the boar hide. He kept the boarskin for himself. Unlike Meleager, he would not go to war for it, but instead he carried it, a memory of his brother. A memory of his sin.
Eventually Tydeus would reach Argos - he had lost track of time, of himself - the heavy boar hide on his back a steady reminder of what he’d done. And then he met Polynices, an exile who also suffered betrayal, and was denied his right to the throne, who was haunted by his family's ghostly sins.
But Agrius, rid of Tydeus for now waited patiently until Andraemon, son-in-law to Oeneus, had his attention elsewhere since he could involve himself in war on behalf of his father-in-law if Agrius acted too soon. The ruler of Pleuron did not have to wait for long. Tydeus called to arms from Argos to march against Thebes. And they followed his call. And when news arrive from Thebes, Agrius rejoiced. Now he had free reign. Tydeus, the exile, last potential threat and beloved prince of Calydon was dead. Their troops suffered many losses. Oeneus was utterly defeated - again bereft of children. And now nothing was standing in Agrius‘ way.
So he deposed Oeneus, and while the Aetolian region was united when Tydeus called to arms, it was in friendly alliance and love and loyalty for their prince. But now Agrius ended up seizing Calydon from Oeneus, and Olenus too.
He let Andraemon keep his his city. But now he was not able to fight Agrius for the rest of Calydon and help his father-in-law. At this point Agrius has more influence and forces than him, a war only a fool would start. So Agrius rules over Calydon and its surrounding regions...
…until Diomedes comes, son of Tydeus, still heady with victory over Thebes, new king of Argos, marches to Aetolia, his goal to free his grandfather from imprisonment. He joins forces with Thoas, son of Andraemon, and they defeat Agrius - most of his sons are slain and he ends his own life when he is exiled, the sons of Porthaon now all know the loss of their children - and they free Oeneus. And Diomedes hands the throne Thoas. Andraemons son now rules over Calydon and the regions Agrius held, as well as the ones Andraemon had kept, the ones who had remained loyal to Oeneus. And with these Thoas will match against Troy, and Diomedes, with his own forces will join the war and bring victory for the Achaeans.
Thanks again to @lyculuscaelus @holy-mother-of-whumpers and @akaittou for helping me dig through the research and make sense of all the sources for Tydeus as well as figuring out the family trees, political and geographical relations as well as the details for Tydeus' exile ♡
