Dexaleus (Mythology)

Not to be confused with Dexaleus (Riordanverse)

Dexaleus (Dexaleon to the Romans) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, son of Thanatos, deity of death, and Dexalea, queen of assassins. Being Dexalea's son, he was raised as an assassin and became a legend in his own right, his clientele including the most influential individuals in Ancient Greece, including royals and even gods. In addition, he was a skilled poet and musician, which was what first brought him to the attention of Apollo, who later became his lover. Eventually, Apollo attempted to murder Dexaleus, as he had dishonoured Zeus. However, Apollo failed. Instead, Dexaleus was imprisoned in the cave of youth near Mount Etna, fated to escape only on the day when Apollo’s power waned.

Myth
Dexaleus’s mother, Dexalea, met his father, Thanatos, after she had assassinated the king of Athens. The god seduced and impregnated her. She gave birth to her son nine months later and named him Dexaleus. The child was trained in various skills by his tutors, and because of his paternal heritage, had a natural affinity for murder. In addition, he was a skilled poet and musician, and was described as a very charming and handsome boy. As he reached adolescence, Dexaleus began working.

Dexaleus’s most famous feat was the assassination of King Diomedes of Thrace, which was commissioned by the King of Crete. Dexaleus travelled to Thrace, disguised as a poor traveller. To gain an audience with the king, he murdered the city-state’s most dangerous criminals and presented their corpses to the king. His charisma and strength greatly impressed the king, who agreed to grant him any honour he wished. Dexaleus made up a story about being a poor potter from Athens, who was framed for theft and banished from the city. He later narrated a tale of how he wandered across the Greek countryside, learning the hardships of life. He asked the king for a home and a position by his side. The king readily accepted.

Dexaleus proved to be an excellent tactician, and gained immense popularity in the king’s court. The King’s eldest daughter, Ianthe, was also smitten with the mysterious new minister, and asked her father to give her in marriage to Dexaleus. The king was delighted, and Dexaleus too, accepted. The pair were wed with great pomp and grandeur. Several months into the marriage, Dexaleus poisoned King Diomedes’s wine goblet with nightshade poison, and framed the king’s only son, Belen, for the murder. Upon discovering that her father was dead, Ianthe flew into a rage and murdered her brother, killing the heir to the throne. Effectively disabling the Thracian monarchy, Dexaleus fled Thrace to collect his bounty from the Cretian King.

However, unknown to Dexaleus, Ianthe was pregnant with his child. When he was born, she named the baby boy Prodotis, meaning traitor. Prodotis later ascended to the Thracian throne, but that was after Dexaleus was imprisoned.

Dexaleus assassinated several other people over the years and became increasingly infamous, employing several strategies to carry out his work, but he almost always favoured the way by which he had assassinated Diomedes. As a result, he fathered several children, many of whom later grew up to be kings and queens. However, in particular, he favoured his daughter Eirene, whose mother was an Athenian princess. He kidnapped Eirene and took her back to his homeland to be raised by her grandmother. He renamed her Androtheia, meaning Goddess among men, and she grew up to be a renowned sorceress. He favoured Androtheia because she was the first of his children that he realised was his.

Aphrodite later employed his services to assassinate the queen of Corinth, Aglea, discreetly. She chose to recruit him instead of Eros because she did not want to arouse suspicion about Aglea’s death. Later, Dexaleus caught the eye of Apollo. Dexaleus fell in love with Apollo, but Apollo, while he felt the same to some extent, wasn’t totally smitten with him.

Blinded by his fatal flaw, greed, Dexaleus later made the mistake of assassinating Astrapion, who was a demigod son of Zeus, who was greatly favoured by his father. Angered, Zeus ordered Apollo to kill the assassin. Apollo, too afraid of his father to disobey him, agreed. He lured Dexaleus into a cave near Mount Etna and trapped him there, assuming he would die. Dexaleus, realising that Apollo had betrayed him, flew into a rage, but still, he couldn’t escape when he was pitted against a god.

However, Apollo had accidentally trapped Dexaleus in the same cave as a dying sorcerer. Dexaleus, after recovering from his outburst, saw the sorcerer and tried to nurse him back to health. Unfortunately, he failed, and the sorcerer passed away. Before dying, the sorcerer gave Dexaleus a boon: he would be able to escape the cave, but only when Apollo’s power waned. As long as he stayed in the cave, he wouldn't age, and effectively became immortal.

Dexaleus spent several years in agony and heartbreak, but eventually came to terms with his situation. He spent his time writing poetry and singing songs. He befriended the mountain nymph, Etna. Despite his notoriety, he had several close friends and they, along with his daughter Androtheia, left him several offerings and gifts and the mouth of his cave. Etna brought these gifts to him, and in return, he wrote several songs and poems for his loved ones, which included Etna. It is unknown if Dexaleus ever escaped his cave, or rather, it is unknown if he chose to leave his cave.

Physical Appearance
In the myths, Dexaleus is usually said to have pale skin, black hair, and grey eyes. In statues, he is generally depicted as a tall, lithe man, with sharp features.