TALOS A man of bronze, who hadbeen placed in Crete by Zeus, to watch over Europa. To this end he was commandedto run around the island three times a day, to see who landed there. It was hispractice to catch strangers, press them to his brazen bosom, and leap into afire, laughing. From this practice comes the phrase 'sardonic laughter'. When the Argonauts landed on Crete, Talos stood against them, but they knew his secret, that although made entirely of bronze, Talos had one vein running from neck toheel, which contained all of his lifeblood. Poeas, the father of Philoktetes, hit this veinusing the arrows of Hercules, and Talos fell and died.