Tectamus


Tectamus was a king of Crete and hero of ancient Hellenic mythology.He was also called Texaphos, Teutamos, Tektaos and Tektaios.

Name

had suggested that the name Teutamos, after the legendary Pelasgian founder, may contain the Proto-Indo-European root *teutéhₐ-. Later scholars proposed a relation of Pelasgian Teutamos with similar names that appear in Italy in later times.

Mythology

He was son of Dorus and grandson of Hellen. According to Diodorus Siculus, Tectamus invaded Crete together with a horde of Eolian and Pelasgian settlers and became the island's king. It was the third of the tribes that migrated to Crete. According to another version, Tectamus was a chief of Dorians and Achaeans. He married Cretheus’ daughter, who gave birth to his son Asterion.

In later Greek historiography

Historian Ctesias wrote of a king of "Assyrian" provenance named Teutamos, and this historical personage appears in an epic tale involving Memnon, son of Eos.