The Dangers of Overconfidence
The first of Priam's allies to come to the aid of Troy was Kyknos, king of Colonæ. Because the Achæans had landed at Tenedos and killed his stepson Tenes [see Chapter Nine], Kyknos knew they were coming before he ever received a messenger from Troy. Because of this Kyknos was able to bring an army into the field to fight the Danaans before Priam even sent word to him.
The Colonæan army arrived at the worst possible time for the Achæans. Half of the Argive host was busily fortifying their camp, while most of the rest were busy raising a burial mound over the bones of Protesilaos and competing in the customary funeral games. While the Achæans were keeping a close eye on the besieged city of Ilion in front of them, an unlooked for enemy fell upon them from behind.
Attacking with the advantage of surprise, the Colonæans killed the unarmed Achæans in droves. Leading his men in battle, Kyknos seemed invincible as he cut down the Argive warriors like ripe wheat at harvest. The warriors of Colonæ had perfected a most gruesome method of personal combat which they applied to any foe who foolishly turned their back upon them in retreat. This maneuver was named after their city of origin and was known as the bronze colonic. The mere rumor of its use often sent waves of dread through any enemy. This dread moved among the Achæans as they retreated from the Colonæans, causing panic and a general route.
Fortunately for the Achæans, several of their finest warriors had not attended the funeral games of Protesilaos, among them the swift-footed Achilleus. As soon as he realized what was happening, Achilleus rallied his men, the Myrmidons, and rushed to engage this unknown enemy.
Achilleus' counterattack slowed and then reversed the Colonæan assault. Tearing through the Colonæan ranks in his chariot, Achilleus personally sent many of them to the house of Hades. The chariot was the superweapon of the time, and Achilleus owned one of the finest around. One of the ironies of the Trojan War was that the peerless team of swift white horses that pulled Achilleus' chariot were formerly the property of the Trojan royal family. These fine beasts were immortal and had been given to King Laomedon of Troy by Poseidon. When Herakles offered to rescue Laomedon's daughter Hesione from a sea monster [see Chapter Five] his fee for doing so was this very team of horses. Laomedon's subsequent refusal to pay up after Herakles had kept his side of the deal was what led to the first sack of Troy. During the division of the spoils Herakles granted the horses to Peleus as his portion of the loot. Since the horses were immortal they were just as strong and swift many years later when Peleus' son, Achilleus, went to war against Troy, and Peleus included them as part of the equipment he gave to his son before he departed.
With his friend Patroklos serving as his driver, Achilleus was unstoppable. After warming up with the Colonæan foot soldiers, Achilleus was ready for the main event. Seeing Kyknos wreaking similar carnage upon his fellow Achæans, Achilleus told Patroklos to drive straight for the Colonæan leader. As soon as they were close enough, Achilleus gave a great yell and hurled his spear at Kyknos, who turned just in time to see the incoming spear hit him squarely in the chest and drop him to the ground.
Achilleus was stunned when Kyknos rose again. No one had ever survived one of Achilleus' direct hits before. Vowing to correct this mistake, Achilleus drew his sword and approached Kyknos on foot. With a quick thrust Achilleus pierced Kyknos' armor and tore away the wide belt protecting his stomach, yet the Colonæan king simply laughed at him, completely unharmed.
Seeing his opponent's confusion, the Colonæan king took the opportunity to gloat in true literary villain style. Kyknos explained that he was the son of the god Poseidon, and his divine parentage had given him flesh as hard as iron and completely impenetrable. He didn't even really need to wear armor. He just liked the way it looked.
Hoping that Kyknos was more crushable than he was piercable, Achilleus picked up a large rock and hurled it at him. Although the impact knocked him down, Kyknos was soon back on his feet and showing no signs of injury. Although not the brightest man in the Achæan host, Achilleus was very good at killing people and soon came up with a clever plan for destroying Kyknos. But first he had to avoid getting killed. Achilleus had lost his spear when he threw it at Kyknos and had only his sword remaining, giving Kyknos, who still had his spear, the advantage of superior reach.
Backpedaling to stay out of spear range, Achilleus soon found himself cornered against the Skamandros, the chief river of the Troad. It was then that Achilleus sprang his trap. Launching himself full force at Kyknos, Achilleus knocked the Colonæan king on his back. Regaining his feet as quickly as possible, the swift Achilleus grabbed the impenetrable Kyknos by the helmet and dragged him down to the river. Realizing their king's peril the Colonæans rushed to his aid, but were held at bay by Patroklos. Using this time wisely, Achilleus held Kyknos under Skamandros' flow until he ceased moving, and a few more moments just to be safe. When Achilleus lifted their seemingly invincible leader's lifeless body over his head the Colonæans lost all hope and fled in a bloody route, suffering great casualties.
After burying their dead and performing the funeral rites, the Achæans decided to teach these Colonæans a lesson. They marched on the Mentora, the capital of Colonæ, and sacked it after a brief but bloody battle, carrying off Kyknos' children as spoils. As long as they were in the neighborhood, they decided to sack Killa as well, despite its strong fortifications. This was quickly accomplished, eliminating the possibility of a Dardanian flanking attack from that direction. The siege of Troy had begun, and the Achæans had sent the message that anyone aiding Priam's city would be dealt with in the harshest possible way.