Priam

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In Greek mythology, Priamo (Greek Πρίαμος) was the king of Troy during the Trojan War, and youngest son of Laomedon. Priamo had a number of wives; his first was Arisbe, daughter of Merops of Percote. Priamo divorced Arisbe to marry Hecuba (Hecabe), daughter of the Phrygian king Dymas, who became his principal wife.

By his various wives and concubines Priamo was the father of fifty sons and several daughters. Priamo's eldest son was Aesacus, his son by Arisbe; Aesacus met a tragic death before the advent of the Trojan War. Hector was Priamo's eldest son by Hecuba, and Priamo's favorite. Aside from Hector, Hecuba bore other sons to Priamo - Paris, Deiphobus, Helenus, Pammon, Polites, Antiphus, Hipponous, and Polydorus - as well as many daughters - Ilione, Creusa, Laodice, Polyxena, and Cassandra. By other women, Priamo had many other sons (Melanippus, Gorgythion, Philaemon, Hippothous, Glaucus, Agathon, Chersidamas, Evagoras, Hippodamas, Mestor, Atas, Doryclus, Lycaon, Dryops, Bias, Chromius, Astygonus, Telestas, Evander, Cebriones, Mylius, Archemachus, Laodocus, Echephron, Idomeneus, Hyperion, Ascanius, Democoon, Aretus, Deioptes, Clonius, Echemmon, Hypiochus, Aegeoneus, Lysithous, Polymedon) and daughters - Medusa, Medesicaste, Lysimache, Aristodeme. The list is based on Apollodorus, who does not provide the name of the mother for most of these children. However, Homer (Iliad) says that Laothoe, daughter of the Lelegian king Altes, bore two sons to Priam, named Lycaon and Polydorus; and that Gorgythion was Priam's son by Castianeira of Aesyme. Polydorus was actually the name of two sons of Priamo, one a warrior at the time of the Trojan War, the other a child (see below).

Priamo was originally called Podarces and he kept himself from being killed by Heracles by giving him a golden veil embroidered by his sister, Hesione. After this, Podarces changed his name to Priam. This is an etymology based on priatos "ransomed"; the actual etymology of the name is probably not Greek, but perhaps Lydian in origin.

Polydorus, Priamo's youngest son, was sent with gifts of jewelry and gold to the court of King Polymestor and his sister Ilione to keep him safe during the Trojan War. The fighting grew vicious and Priamo was frightened for the child's safety. After Troy fell, Polymestor threw Polydorus to his death to take the treasure for himself. Hecuba eventually avenged her son.

When Hector was killed by Achilles, Achilles disrespected the body and refused to give it back. This displeased the gods and Zeus sent a message to Priamo to go alone to the Greek ships and take only one old man to drive the wagon-load of treasure for the ransom. Priamo does so, and midway to the ships Hermes, in disguise, guides Priamo to Achilles hidden from the rest of the Greeks. Achilles, having had his own message from the gods, agrees to release Hector's body to the old king who is begging at his knees. Achilles further goes on to give Priamo leave to hold a proper funeral for Hector complete with funeral games. He promises that no Greek will engage in combat for 11 days, but on the 12th the war would resume.

In the sack of Troy, Priamo was brutally murdered by Achilles's son Neoptolemus (also known in the Aeneid as Pyrrhus), in a scene memorialized both in Virgil's Aeneid and Shakespeare's Hamlet.

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