Who was the Greek healer who treated Menelaus's arrow wound?

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Who was the Greek healer who treated Menelaus's arrow wound? Machaon was the Greek healer who treated Menelaus after Pandarus shot him with an arrow.

Machaon was a son of Asclepius, the legendary founder of Greek medicine, and the brother of the physician-warrior Podalirius. Both brothers led troops from Tricca to the Trojan War, but Machaon is the healer specifically associated with treating Menelaus in the Iliad.

The wound occurred when Pandarus, encouraged by Athena, broke the temporary truce between the Greeks and Trojans and shot Menelaus. Agamemnon feared that the arrow might be fatal, but Machaon examined the injury, removed the blood, and applied medicines. Homer presents this medical care as an important service in the Greek army.

A common mix-up is Asclepius, Machaon's father, who is the more famous healing figure, or Podalirius, Machaon's brother and fellow military physician. Later traditions also credit Machaon or Podalirius with healing other heroes, including Philoctetes and Telephus. Machaon eventually died in the Trojan War, reportedly killed by Eurypylus.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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