Previous
Patroclus’s Mother
King Lycomedes is the ruler of Scyros and the father of Deidameia. He’s old and ill, so Deidameia essentially runs their kingdom, which leaves it (and Deidameia) vulnerable. Because of Lycomedes’s inattention, Thetis is able to trick Deidameia into marrying and having sex with a disguised Achilles, which eventually leads to Deidameia’s pregnancy and exile. Later, Odysseus convinces Achilles to join the Trojan War effort, in part by pointing to King Lycomedes’s example—his kingdom will soon be seized, and he’ll be forgotten, which is what could happen to Achilles if he doesn’t fight. Lycomedes has very little power, despite his royal status; he’s beholden to Thetis’s threats and whims. Despite this, he’s a kind man who fosters many young women on his island.
King Lycomedes Quotes in The Song of Achilles
The The Song of Achilles quotes below are all either spoken by King Lycomedes or refer to King Lycomedes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 15 Quotes
“That if you do not come to Troy, your godhead will wither in you, unused. Your strength will diminish. At best, you will be like Lycomedes here, moldering on a forgotten island with only daughters to succeed him. Scyros will be conquered soon by a nearby state; you know this as well as I. They will not kill him; why should they? He can live out his years in some corner eating the bread they soften for him, senile and alone. When he dies, people will say, who?”
The words filled the room, thinning the air until we could not breathe. Such a life was a horror.
But Odysseus' voice was relentless. “He is known now only because of how his story touches yours. If you go to Troy, your fame will be so great that a man will be written into eternal legend just for having passed a cup to you. You will be—”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
"I do not think I could bear it," he said, at last. His eyes were closed, as if against horrors. I knew he spoke not of his death, but of the nightmare Odysseus had spun, the loss of his brilliance, the withering of his grace. I had seen the joy he took in his own skill, the roaring vitality that was always just beneath the surface. Who was he if not miraculous and radiant? Who was he if not destined for fame?
"I would not care," I said. The words scrabbled from my mouth. "Whatever you became. It would not matter to me. We would be together."
"I know," he said quietly, but did not look at me.
He knew, but it was not enough.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire The Song of Achilles LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
King Lycomedes Character Timeline in The Song of Achilles
The timeline below shows where the character King Lycomedes appears in The Song of Achilles. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 12
...the princess, Deidameia. Deidameia is pretty and arrogant, and she tells Patroclus that Scyros’s king, Lycomedes, is old and ill. Because of this, if Patroclus wants a favor, he should ask...
(full context)
...women leave, Achilles (who is still pretending to be a woman) tells an alarmed King Lycomedes that his husband, Patroclus, has come to claim him, and that the two will now...
(full context)
...sob and shriek. She accuses the “heartless” Achilles of betraying her. She then reveals to Lycomedes that Achilles is really a man and that she and Achilles are secretly married. Achilles’s...
(full context)
...words, Patroclus feels something fall from a great height in his chest. Agreeing, Thetis tells Lycomedes that he’s morally bound to Achilles due to Deidameia’s marriage, and must continue to secretly...
(full context)
They return to the palace on Scyros and run into Lycomedes, who tells Achilles that Deidameia is crying in her room and hopes Achilles will visit....
(full context)
Chapter 13
...jump. Otherwise, living as a woman, he’s confined. At night, they eat awkward dinners with Lycomedes and Deidameia, an attempt to maintain the cover story of Patroclus and Achilles’s marriage. Achilles...
(full context)
Chapter 14
Odysseus is at dinner that night, and Lycomedes introduces him to Patroclus by name, which Odysseus forgot to do. Patroclus realizes he should...
(full context)
Odysseus then asks to see the foster daughters dance, which Lycomedes has to agree to—refusing would be suspicious. The girls perform, Achilles among them. When Odysseus...
(full context)
...tone will make it harder to humiliate him. He sheds his disguise, and Odysseus asks Lycomedes for a private room. Lycomedes is terrified, obviously thinking of Thetis. Odysseus invites Patroclus to...
(full context)
Chapter 15
...doesn’t come to Troy, his strength will diminish, and he’ll end up like the old Lycomedes, whose kingdom will obviously be taken soon. That kind of dishonor—being forgotten—is the worst fate...
(full context)
...and Patroclus leave Scyros that afternoon, planning to sail to Phthia with Odysseus and Diomedes. Lycomedes comes to say goodbye. There’s only one thing left to do, though Achilles is reluctant...
(full context)
