Which hero was known as the son of Tydeus?

The hero known as the son of Tydeus was Diomedes. In Greek epic, Diomedes is frequently identified by the patronymic Tydides, meaning “son of Tydeus.”

Tydeus was one of the Seven against Thebes and married Deipyle, daughter of King Adrastus of Argos. Their son Diomedes belonged to the generation that fought in the Trojan War. After Tydeus died during the first expedition against Thebes, Diomedes joined the Epigoni, the sons of the fallen champions, and helped defeat the city.

In Homer’s Iliad, Diomedes is one of the greatest Achaean warriors, second only to Achilles in battlefield reputation. Athena strongly favors him, and during one extraordinary episode she grants him the ability to recognize gods. He even wounds Aphrodite and Ares in combat.

The name can cause confusion because Diomedes is also associated with later Italian legends and because “Tydides” is a title rather than a separate hero. Odysseus, Achilles, and Ajax are major Greek heroes, but none is Tydeus’s son.