Mnemosyne — Classical Greek Myth Library

Tenes (Tennēs) was son of Cycnus of Colonae (or of Apollo) by Procleia; his sister was Hemithea. Philonome, Cycnus’s second wife, desired Tenes and, refused, accused him to Cycnus of assault, with the flute-player Eumolpus (or Molpus) as false witness. Cycnus cast Tenes and Hemithea to sea in a chest; they drifted to the island Leucophrys, which Tenes named Tenedos and ruled. Cycnus later learned the truth, buried the living witness in stoning or death, and sought reconciliation; Tenes rejected him, cutting the cables of Cycnus’s ship—hence a proverb of absolute refusal. When the Achaeans touched at Tenedos on the way to Troy, Achilles killed Tenes—though Thetis had warned him not to slay Apollo’s son lest he himself die soon after. Some strands say Tenes defended the island or that a quarrel over Hemithea brought Achilles’ blow. Tenes received hero-cult on Tenedos. Catalogue the full Tenes arc—Potiphar-like accusation, chest-exile, eponymous kingship, Achilles’ fatal disobedience—apart from Cycnus’s death at the Trojan landing.