April 20: Spring Month

The goddess of dawn, Eos, had many adventures, but the Trojan prince Tithonos was her one true love. Their son, Memnon, grew up to be a fierce warrior-king of Aethiopia, who joined the Trojan army with a huge contingent of fighters. The Aethiopians were known as “most handsome and tallest of all”, and Memnon was no exception. He was honourable too, refusing to fight Nestor, the oldest of the Greek generals, even when the latter demanded revenge for the death of his son. On Nestor’s behalf, Achilles dared Memnon to a duel, and the clash between the two demigods is the deciding moment in the war. Supreme god Zeus favoured them both equally, and he prohibited all interfering. Eventually, it was Achilles who got the upper hand, and he stabbed Memnon in the heart. As a result, the Aethiopian army fled, and with it, Troy’s last hope of winning. Eos, overcome with grief, carried her son away. Since that day, the goddess of dawn cries every morning, and her tears lie on the grass as drops of dew.

Eos with the body of Memnon, red figure cup, Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

Eos with the Body of Memnon, Neck Amphora,

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA