Protesilaus
In Greek mythology, Protesilaus (Πρωτεσίλαος) or Protesilas (etymologically, it means "the first of the people") was a prince of Thessaly and son of Iphicles.
Immediately after getting married, Protesilaus went on the expedition against Troy. An oracle had prophesied that the first Greek to set foot on the land upon landing would be the first to die. Protesilaus, knowing the prophecy, stepped on the land, and later died after killing several Trojans.Before he stepped on the land, Odysseus threw his shield on the shore and jumped on him. Depending on the authors, it was Hector, Euphorbus, Aeneas, or Cycnus who killed Protesilaus.
When Laodamia, Protesilaus's wife, found out, she fell into such deep mourning that the gods allowed her husband to return to her for three hours. When she left again, the woman committed suicide. In another version, Laodamía had a statue molded in the image of Protesilaus; Her father, fed up with the sad spectacle, ordered the sculpture to be burned, and Laodamía threw herself into the bonfire.
After Protesilaus's death, his brother Podarces took his place in the Trojan War. At the end of this, the Greeks established some festivals or games in honor of the birth of Protesilaus: the Protesiliadas.