Deidamia of Scyros


In Greek mythology, Deidamia was a princess of Scyros as the daughter of King Lycomedes.

Mythology

Deidamia was one of King Lycomedes's seven daughters with whom Achilles was concealed. Some versions of this story state that Achilles was hidden in Lycomedes's court as one of the king's daughters, some say as a lady-in-waiting under the name "Pyrrha". Despite the fact that Achilles and Deidamia could have been as young as eight years old, the two soon became romantically involved to the point of intimacy. After Odysseus arrived at Lycomedes's palace and exposed Achilles as a young man, the hero decided to join the Trojan War, leaving behind his pregnant and heartbroken wife Deidamia.
Years later, Deidamia tried to persuade their son, Neoptolemus not to join his father in the same war. After the war, she was given in marriage by Neoptolemus to his ally Helenus, son of Priam, whom he had brought to Epirus. Later on, Neoptolemus was eventually killed by Orestes when the son of Agamemnon went mad.
In some accounts, Achilles and Deidamia had another son, Oneiros, who was unwittingly killed by Orestes in Phocis while fighting with him over a place to pitch a tent.