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Telamon is the main antagonist of Michelle Paver's Gods and Warriors series. He is a member of the House of Koronos, a villainous warrior clan in Mycenaean Greece/Akea. At the beginning of the series, he is the best friend of the main protagonist Hylas. However, this changes in the series when Telamon is caught between conflicting loyalties once the House of Koronos starts hunting Hylas. Later in the series, Telamon will do anything to regain the dagger of Koronos even if that means killing the outsider who threatens his downfall: his best friend, Hylas.
Biography[]
Background[]
Telamon was born thirteen years before the beginning of The Outsiders. He was a member of the House of Koronos, a warrior clan that originates from Lykonia (the modern Laconia). Around the time Telamon wasu born, his grandfather Koronos became the High Chieftain of Mycenea by seizing Mycenea from his predecessor Akastos, the Lion of Mycenea. This allowed him to become the most powerful and feared chieftain of Akea. The House of Koronos and their warriors came to be called Crows due to their greed and preference to wearing black cloaks and rawhide armor.
Telamon's father was Thestor, one of Koronos' sons. After Koronos moved his seat of power to Mycenea, Thestor became Lykonia's chieftain while his siblings gained other areas to rule over. Ashamed of how low the clan had fallen from their honorable and respectable days, Thestor decided to have as little to do with his relatives as possible. While he upheld peace in Lykonia for years, he raised his son in their clan's ancestral stronghold of Lapithos without telling Telamon about the rest of their clan.
When Telamon was nine years old, he was hunting with his father one day and met for the first time Hylas and Issi, two outsiders (persons who were born outside a village) who herded goats on the slopes of Mount Lykas, Lykonia's mightiest mountain. Issi was lashing out at a group of boys who were harassing her until Hylas came to his little sister's aid and scared the boys away with a threatening gaze. Impressed by this display of inner strength, Telamon befriended Hylas and Issi without his father's knowledge. He sometimes managed to sneak away from Lapithos to spend time with the siblings. They shared many adventures in Mount Lykas and even saved each other's lives. After reaching the age of thirteen, Telamon started a personal quest of becoming a warrior by hunting twelve boars and creating his own helmet from their tusks.
The Outsider[]
After the dagger of Koronos, an ancient heirloom that makes the House of Koronos invincible, is stolen from Mycenea, Telamon's uncle Kratos leads the Crows to hunt down Lykonian Outsiders, and Telamon tries to find Hylas and Issi in order to warn them. He discovers the corpse of the siblings' dog Scram in their camp after they are attacked by the Crows. He buries Scram and discovers that Issi is heading west. He then “borrows” from his father a chariot and two horses which he uses to run into Hylas. He promises to help Hylas to safety and proposes that they will make their way to the Sea in south and then travel along the coast to the western side of the mountains to look for Issi. They are soon caught up by the Crows, so Telamon sends Hylas away in the chariot while he stays behind to decoy the warriors away. He then returns to Lapithos to face the wrath of his father who has discovered Telamon's forbidden friendship with Hylas and the theft of his chariot and horses. After punishing Telamon with a whipping, Thestor tells Telamon about their clan and the dagger. He also informs his son that he is making a trade with Yassassara, the High Priestess of Keftiu (Crete), which to seal, Telamon is to marry Pirra, Yassassara's daughter.
In this book, Telamon acted like a sympathetic boy who just wanted Hylas to be safe. However he foreshadowed his and Hylas' upcoming rivalry by feeling wrath towards Hylas for making him have to choose between friendship and blood. Nevertheless, he kept being loyal to Hylas which could be seen when he refused to throw his spear to his uncle Kratos who wanted Hylas dead. When he thought Hylas was dead, he pretended to mourn his uncle when he actually mourned his friend.
The Burning Shadow[]
In this book, Telamon started out as the sympathetic boy he was in the first book. However, when he found out Hylas was alive, he felt bitter towards Hylas for letting him believe Hylas was dead. When he caught Hylas, he considered killing him because he believed Hylas had laughed at him when he thought Hylas was dead. When Hylas told him he didn't laugh, Telamon decided to make a deal with Hylas: Telamon would help Hylas find a boat and Hylas would leave Thalakrea and forget about the dagger. Hylas agreed. Telamon kept his promise. Hylas would have, but he had to warn Telamon to avoid Akastos who wanted to kill Telamon. Later in the book, Hylas changed his mind. When Telamon found out about this, he threatened to kill Hylas if Hylas didn't throw him the dagger. Hylas didn't. Telamon would just have shot Hylas if Pirra didn't come to Hylas' aid, wounding Telamon.
Eye of the Falcon[]
In this book, Telamon's hunger for power seems to get bigger and bigger. We could see that when he got mad at Ilarkos for following Kreon's order over his. He also seems to have gotten a lot crueler which we could see when he thought about how he would kill Hylas and make Pirra beg for him.
Personality[]
| “ | Telamon meant it, Hylas could see that. His eyes were wild: nothing left of the boy who'd been his friend, all that scorched away by his hunger for power, and by the final step he'd just taken, leaving his own kin to die. | „ |
| ~ Hylas realizing in The Crocodile Tomb how much Telamon actually changed. |
Telamon's personality changes in the series. At first, he is loyal, humble and determined to stick by the rules. He's in many ways the opposite of his best friend Hylas. While Hylas has learned to think and act fast in order to survive, Telamon prefers to think through his decisions carefully before taking action. Though he scoffs at Hylas' willingness to steal, he helps Hylas escape at the cost of being beaten by his father. It's said he envies Hylas' ruthlessness and independence, which Pirra even suggests to be the reason he befriended Hylas in the first place.
Telamon at first admires his father Thestor and fears the rest of their ruthless relatives. He obeys Koronos and Thestor's siblings only out of fear and duty to his kin, but after he embraces their belief in social Darwinism, he rejects his father's philosophy of leading with kindness as a weakling's way. In The Crocodile Tomb, he refuses to release Pirra even after Hylas gives him the dagger in exchange for her freedom and continues using her to force Hylas into the range of arrows. As the series moves on, Telamon turns more and more greedy, cruel and dangerous, even leaving his own relatives to die (something he does in The Crocodile Tomb and Warrior Bronze). By the time of the final book, he's lost all respect he had towards Koronos and Pharax — the only one of his father's siblings he actually admires — to the point of wanting to challenge them for the dagger. It could be said that the hunger for power turned Telamon from Hylas' best friend into Hylas' worst enemy.
One consistent trait in Telamon is his obsession to prove himself as a warrior and leader. He hates feeling inferior to others and starts putting others down later in the series. In Warrior Bronze, Koronos rightly calls Telamon out of trying to hide his fears behind bluster. Despite choosing ruthlessness, Telamon cannot completely rid himself of his conscience, for he needs to actively silence it several times. He develops a pathological habit of refusing to face responsibility or guilt for his actions by claiming that the gods' will is at work and that he's helpless to do anything about it.
He is very misogynistic, as he believes women should beg and kneel to men. Even before betraying Hylas, he gave the patriarchal view that girls are meant for marriage. One of the reasons he hates Egypt is because he considers its men to be too effeminate. He finds it far worse being thwarted by women than by other men and looks forward to see Pirra beg for him. He shares with Pirra a mutual relationship of hatred to the point that he calls off their arranged marriage in The Outsider, but he's heavily implied to have become darkly attracted to her by the time of Eye of the Falcon, for his thoughts dwell on proving her wrong about her earlier assessment of him being inferior to Hylas. In The Crocodile Tomb, he finds himself thinking that even though Pirra's not as pretty as Meritamen, she "burns with a fire that draws you in and doesn't let go". When he has her at his mercy in Warrior Bronze, he considers killing her right there, but decides instead to keep her as his reward following his ascension. When he thinks she has died when Lapithos burns, he feels regret for a brief moment before dismissing it as her destiny.
Quotes[]
The Burning Shadow[]
| “ | Don't move! One move and you're dead! | „ |
| ~ Telamon betrays Hylas |
The Eye of the Falcon[]
| “ | You can't get away from me, Outsider! I swear by the Angry Ones and by the dagger of Koronos that I will hunt you down, I will feed your carcass to the dogs! | „ |
| ~ Telamon threatening Hylas upon their reunion. |
The Crocodile Tomb[]
| “ | The Perao has decreed that we must regain our dagger. With the help of Lord Kerasher, we traced it here to Pa-Sobek. But you have failed to find it. If, by the time your River begins to rise I do not hold the dagger in my fist, the Perao will know that His decree has been ignored. That will be your fault, Lady Meritamen. It won't matter who you are. The Perao needs bronze more than he needs you, or the Hati-aa. One word from my grandfather, and you will be punished. Against the wrath of the Perao, you and your family will be as a field of flax in a sandstorm. You will be wiped out. Think about that. | „ |
| ~ Telamon putting pressure onto Kerasher and Meritamen. |
| “ | Telamon: Listen to me. I can break you if I want. Look at me when I'm talking to you! I have been patient. At your request, I've even moored my ship behind that island in the River, so that the sight of it won't offend your gods. I've done all this because you promised to find my dagger. Meritamen: And I will. Telamon: I gave you until the Day of the First Drop. That's two days away. If by then I don't hold the dagger in my fist, the Perao will know that it's your fault. I will see you and your husband stripped of power, your names obliterated, your family ruined. Do you doubt that I can do this? |
„ |
| ~ Telamon threatens Meritamen to force her to help him find the dagger. |
| “ | Telamon: You've been lying to me. Meritamen: No. Telamon: Oh, yes. Hylas, the Outsider is here in Pa-Sobek. Don't deny it. Your sister saw him. I take it the Keftian girl with the scar is here too. (*looks at her face that he had guessed right*) Where are they? Meritamen: I don't know. Telamon: I don't believe you. Meritamen: It is not for you to speak in such a way to the wife of the Hati-aa . Soon I will have your dagger for you. Then you can go back to your own land. Telamon: (*smiles*) But, I want the Outsider too. You have spies. You must know where they are. Meritamen: I did but someone helped them get away. Telamon: Indeed. (*puts hand on Meritamen's little sister's shaved head*) Pretty child. The Lady Alekto likes her very much. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her, but you know how at times the Lady Alekto goes too far. Meritamen: You wouldn't dare touch her. Telamon: I have the favor of Perao. You don't know what I would dare to do. Meritamen: They're on the West Bank. That's all I know, I swear. |
„ |
| ~ Telamon pressures Meritamen into telling him where Hylas and Pirra are |
| “ | Telamon: Look what I've got, Hylas (*twists Pirra's arms higher behind her back*) Pirra: (*tries to bite him but can't reach*) Telamon: (*clamps tighter and lets his fingers dig into her upper arm*) Hylas: Don't hurt her. Take the dagger. I throw it over to you but first let her go free. Telamon: (*laughs*) No, I'll have the dagger first. Then you get the girl. Hylas: (*is silent*) Telamon: (*jabs the point of his knife under Pirra's chin with his free hand*) I mean it Hylas. Throw me the dagger. Only when I got it I will give you the girl. Hylas: (*throws the dagger that lands at Telamon's feet*) Telamon: (*throws Pirra over to Ilarkos and picks up the dagger*) I am Telamon of the House of Koronos, and I have regained the dagger of my Ancestors Hylas: We had a bargain. Let Pirra go! Telamon: (*ignores him*) Hylas: You have a raft on board! Send two of your men with the girl! Bring her to the bank! Telamon: (*looks first at the date palms where Hylas is hiding and then at Pirra*) No. |
„ |
| ~ Telamon lies about letting Pirra go |
| “ | Telamon: (*coldly orders Ilarkos to hold Pirra close to the edge*) I want the outsider to see her. Good, now put your knife to her throat. Outsider! Stop skulking behind those trees and show yourself! Pirra: No, Hylas, no! He has a bow! He'll kill you! Telamon: (*laughs*) For once she's right , Hylas, I will! But if you don't step out into the open, you'll have to watch her die first. Out in the open, Hylas or I will kill her. One word, Hylas. All I need to do is say one word and he'll slit her throat. I will do it Hylas. Do you want to watch Pirra die? Pirra: Hylas, don't! |
„ |
| ~ Telamon forces Hylas to let himself get shot |
Warrior Bronze[]
| “ | Telamon: Who do you think you are, to give me orders? Do you think you're still the daughter of the High Priestess of Keftiu? Pirra: I'll always be that. Telamon: You're nothing! You're in my power! See this? (*taps the scar on his forehead*) Remember Egypt? That bird of yours striking me with its talons? You're lucky I didn't kill it outright! Shall I do it now, eh? Snap its neck between my fingers? Pirra: No no please – don't touch her! Telamon: Ah, that's better. You need to beg more, Pirra. It's what women should do. You can't bear being tied up, can you? I remember that. It's your worst nightmare, isn't it? Being tied up for ever. Well there's no one to help you now. |
„ |
| ~ Telamon threatening the captive Pirra and Echo. |
| “ | Telamon: I'm not afraid. I know what to do! Pirra: What do you mean? What are you going to do? Telamon: At one stroke, I will make the dagger safe for ever. Yes, that's it! The gods will help me take it from Pharax on the battlefield – and then I'll give it to my Ancestors, and they will keep it safe for all eternity! (*continues in his thoughts*) And that way, the Ancestors will finally be appeased – my father, and Alekto, and Koronos … And the Angry Ones will leave me in peace. |
„ |
| ~ Telamon having the idea of casting the dagger down the crack of the Ancestor Peak of Mount Lykas. |
| “ | (*laughs*) You'd better get used to being tied up, because you're going to stay like that for a while! And when I've won the battle, and the dagger is safe with my Ancestors for ever – when I've crushed the rebels and fed Hylas' still-beating heart to the dogs – you're going to spend the rest of your life here at Lapithos, shut up in the women's chambers. Although maybe – if you beg very hard – I might let you have one glimpse of the sky, perhaps every other year! | „ |
| ~ Telamon taunting Pirra one last time. |
| “ | Akastos is dead! Pharax is no more, and I, Telamon, am High Chieftain of all Akea! See! I have the dagger of Koronos! Ilarkos! You will lead our men to victory here – while I ride to make the dagger safe for my House for all eternity! | „ |
| ~ Telamon seizing the dagger of Koronos after Pharax is killed by Akastos. |
| “ | Telamon: (*raises the dagger high*) The Outsider didn't wield it very long, did she? Hylas: Long enough to fulfil the Oracle! The House of Koronos – Lapithos – it's burning, Telamon, just like the Oracle said! You must have seen it on your way up! Telamon: I am the House of Koronos! I am invincible! I am invincible! |
„ |
| ~ Telamon saying his last words before he and the dagger are finished off by a lightning strike. |
Trivia[]
- Telamon's relationship with Hylas could be compared to Tenris' relationship with Fa from Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, Michelle Paver's older series. They were both good friends, but just like Tenris, Telamon grew more and more hungry for power until it finally corrupted him completely.
- Telamon is the only Gods and Warriors villain who wasn't evil from the start.