Podarkes
- "Tell my daughter... She should have killed me herself."
- ―Podarkes' final words[src]
Podarkes the Cruel (died 420s BCE), also called King of the Silver Islands, was a member of the Delian League branch of the Cult of Kosmos, who governed the Silver Islands during the Peloponnesian War. He was also the brother of Diokles.
Biography
King of the Silver Islands
Podarkes earned his epithet 'the Cruel' through his deeds when he overtook the rule of the Silver Islands, as well as during his reign.[1]
Years before the Peloponnesian War, Podarkes was involved with Dianthe, and fathered Kyra with her. During the girl's early childhood, Dianthe visited Podarkes often at his residence with Kyra, and attempted to make him a part of her life. Podarkes paid her well to keep Kyra's parentage secret, but Dianthe was not content with that. Ultimately, Dianthe brought Podarkes a wooden doll Kyra had made, engraved with the letter 'P' for pater, father in Greek.[2]
For Podarkes, that was apparently the final straw, and he had his servant, Otonia, deliver Dianthe a letter warning Dianthe to keep quiet and stop visiting him, or he would "send you both to Hades." Either Dianthe refused to let even this hinder her, or else Podarkes wanted to make sure to rid himself of the problem she and her daughter were to him, and he sent Athenian soldiers to kill them. He had Otonia lead them to Dianthe's home, where they skewered Dianthe with a spear in front of Kyra's eyes, and attempted to kill her, too. Otonia, however, stood up to them, and with her aid, Kyra managed to flee.[2]
The Peloponnesian War
When the Peloponnesian War begun, Podarkes openly allied the Silver Islands with Athens' Delian League.[3]
For the first time in quite a while, the Cult of Kosmos gathered at their shrine under the Sanctuary of Delphi in Phokis.[2] Podarkes was there, too, and afterwards sent a letter to a fellow Cultist and a member of the Delian League branch, Brison, telling him that he wanted Brison at the Silver Islands, fighting by Podarkes' side.[3]
This letter was seized by the Spartan misthios Kassandra, and it led her to uncover both Brison as well as Podarkes.[3]
The fall
By the time of the Peloponnesian War, Kyra had grown up and joined forces with other rebellious Mykonians. Seeing Podarkes' efficient cruelty at work, Kyra sent out a call for help, both to the "Eagle-bearing misthios" as well as Sparta. Barnabas relayed her message to Kassandra, who agreed to sail to Mykonos. From Sparta came the polemarch Thaletas. They joined forces with Kyra, even if they did not always see eye to eye on everything.[1]
With the help of Otonia, Kassandra learned of Kyra's parentage. She recovered the wooden doll Dianthe had brought Podarkes from his residence, and told Kyra.[2]
Kassandra killed Podarkes and recovered a letter from another member of the Delian League branch of the Cult, Kodros.[4] She also killed his brother Diokles, finding a letter from him detailing Podarkes' order for him to capture Kassandra.[5]
Afterwards, Kyra recovered Podarkes' body and cremated it.[6]
Trivia
- The name Podarkes was actually the original name for Priam, the mythological king of Troy during the Trojan War.
Appearance
Reference
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Trouble in Paradise
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – "M" for Murder Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "M for Murder" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Hades, Meet Podarkes
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – Call to Arms
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Odyssey – A Night to Remember