One of the greatest heroes of
Greek myth.
He was the son of Tantalus, who was Zeus' son and loved by the gods, and was so well-liked by them that they gave him Nectar and Ambrosia, effectively making him immortal. But Tantalus became arrogant and in his hybris killed his own son (Pelops), cooked him and served him to the gods. The Gods did not fall for that, however, and non of them ate from the served dishes (except for Demeter, who was preoccupied in thoughts of her missing daughter Persephone who was kidnapped a short time earlier, who ate the youth's shoulder).
The gods were enraged by Tantalus' deed and punished him severely. They restored Pelops to life, replacing his missing shoulder with an ivory one, and blessed him in divine beauty. In fact Pelops became so beautiful that Poseidon fell in love and became lovers with him. As a token to his love Poseidon gave Pelops a winged chariot.
Later, Pelops courted Hippodameia, the daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa. Oenomaus had decreed that any suitor might carry Hippodameia off, but that he himself would pursue them and would kill anyone he was able to overtake. He had already killed thirteen suitors this way. However, Pelops convinced Oenomaus' charioteer, Myrtilus, to remove the linchpins from the king's chariot; Oenomaus was thrown from the vehicle, became entangled in the reins, and was dragged to his death. Myrtilus then tried to rape Hippodameia, but Pelops killed him by throwing him into the sea. Myrtilus, as he was dying, cursed the house of Pelops, and this curse blighted the lives of Pelops' sons (Atreus and Thyestes), and his grandsons (Agamemnon and Aegisthus).
Pelops then conquered the peloponnese and named it after himself.
During the Trojan War the Greeks brought his bones to Troy after hearing a prophecy that said this would be necessary if the Greeks were to win.