The Greek myth of Talos, the first robot - Adrienne Mayor

Get to know the myth of Talos, a robot powered by ichor and created by Hephaestus to defend the island kingdom of Crete from intruders.

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Hephaestus, god of technology, was hard at work on his most ingenious invention yet. He was creating a new defense system for King Minos, who wanted fewer intruders on his island kingdom of Crete. But mortal guards and ordinary weapons wouldn’t suffice, so the visionary god devised an indomitable new defender. Adrienna Mayor dives into the myth of Talos: the first robot.

Lesson by Adrienne Mayor, directed by Cabong Studios.

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[PhilippineLuLu]

*Achilles' heel*

*Talos' heel*

[lazycat]

God of Technology: *build a giant robot with a giant bolt as a weakpoint*
Dr Doofenshmirtz: *build everything with an obviously exposed self-destruct button*
Dr Doof: And they say I'm crazy

[solepula]

Now imagine if Hephaestus made Terminators...

[alexanderchippel]

So the story is essentially: "Security Gaurd Murdered by Burglars."

[kmdash]

The story is often used to ask the question "what makes us human" rather than the more modern question of "can we create a robot that's like a human." The Greeks believed that it was that mind, the rich inner life of Talos (his emotions, imagination, and intellect), as well as his creation by the gods, that made him human. It also is meant to show that what makes us human isn't the body, but the nonphysical mind.

[PandaBeatsStudios]

Japan: “We invented mechas first!”

Greece: *Laughs in Talos.*

[Irondragon]

Ted-Ed doing their best to supply with the daily dose of existential crisis

[pyroVoid]

Is it weird that I feel bad for Talos in this story of the Argonauts, rather than relief that the humans survived?

[midgetman]

Bruh, they just straight up killed him, he was just doing his job while having the innocence of a child

[ryanrodriguez]

As an Elder Scrolls fan, knowing that an Emperor named Talos used a Brass God robot thing to help conqure the world makes slightly more sense now.

[connor]

"My ancestors are smiling at me Imperial, can you say the same ?"

[ossen]

*Moral of the story*
When you don't feel whole, others will take advantage of you

[andrewgutmann]

**The Thalmor would like to know your location.**

[ThePissedOffOwl]

I wonder if anyone on those boats shouted “What In Oblivion is that?!” When they saw talos

[labomemnumbazerozeroyon]

Just a thought: what if these robot concepts had blueprints stored in the library of alexandria.

[teteachhakx]

'They say Ulfric Stormcloak murdered the High King, with his voice Shouted him apart'

[CrayRT]

Moral of the story:
If you are facing an undefeatable opponent, his weakness is in the heel.

[Hanma]

Ancient Greece: Talos was a giant automaton

Skyrim players: *visible confusion*

[huldrrrr]

Talos is probably one of the most sympathetic figures in greek mythology imo ;-;

[MichaelSmith-ijut]

This explains Talos' use of the Numidium to conquer Tamriel.