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Helenus of Troy

December 04, 2023

For other uses, see Helenus (mythology).
"Helenos" redirects here. Not to be confused with HelenOS, an operating system based on a multiserver microkernel design.

In Greek mythology, Helenus (/ˈhɛlənəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἕλενος, Helenos, Latin: Helenus) was a gentle and clever seer.[1] He was also a Trojan prince as the son of King Priam[2] and Queen Hecuba of Troy,[3] and the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra. He was also called Scamandrios, and was favored by Apollo.[4]

Sketch Illustration of Helenus

Mythology edit

Early years edit

In the earliest sources, Helenus and his sister Cassandra were given the power of prophecy by Apollo after their ears were licked by snakes.[5] In other sources, Helenus was taught the power by Cassandra, but others generally believed his predictions. After gaining foresight, he was renamed from Scamandrius to Helenus by a Thracian soothsayer.[6] Helenus predicted that if Alexander (Paris) brought home a Greek wife (i.e. Helen), the Achaeans would pursue, and overpower Troy and slay his parents and brothers.[7]

Trojan War edit

Helenus is described by Homer as being the greatest of augurs. He advises Hector to challenge any Achaean to a duel, which Telemonian Ajax accepts. Helenus led the third battalion of the Trojan forces along with his brother Deiphobus. He was also part of the Trojan forces led by his brother Hector that beat the Greeks back from the plains west of Troy, and attacked their camp in the Iliad. He is wounded in the hand by Menelaus and forced to retreat.

In the final year of the Trojan War, Helenus vied against his brother Deiphobus for the hand of Helen after the death of their brother Paris, but Helen was awarded to Deiphobus. Disgruntled over his loss, Helenus retreated to Mount Ida, where Odysseus later captured him.[8] He tells Odysseus, perhaps after torture or coercion, how to capture Troy: they would win if they stole the Trojan Palladium, brought the bones of Pelops to Troy, and persuaded Neoptolemus (Achilles' son by the Scyrian princess Deidamia) and Philoctetes (who possessed Heracles' bow and arrows) to join the Greeks in the war.[9] Neoptolemus was hiding from the war at Scyrus, but the Greeks retrieved him.

Aftermath edit

Neoptolemus had taken Andromache, Helenus's sister-in-law, and Hector's widow, as a slave and concubine after the fall of Troy, and fathered Molossus, Pielus and Pergamus with her. After the fall of Troy, Helenus went with Neoptolemus, according to Apollodorus' Epitome 6.13.[10] He traveled with Neoptolemus, Andromache and their children to Epirus, where Neoptolemus permitted him to found the city of Buthrotum.[11] After Neoptolemus left Epirus, he left Andromache and their sons in Helenus's care.

Neoptolemus was killed by Orestes, Agamemmon's son, in a dispute over Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen, whom Orestes had been promised as wife, but whom Neoptolemus had taken. As the kingdom of Neoptolemus was partitioned, this led to Helenus acquiring the rule of Buthrotum, as king. "Helenus, a son of Priam, was king over these Greek cities of Epirus, having succeeded to the throne and bed of Neoptolemus."[12][13]

Andromache bore him a son, Cestrinus,[14] who is identified with Genger or Zenter, a legendary Trojan king and father of Francus. Some mythographers alleged that Helenus was given the hand of both Deidamia[15] and Andromache[16] in marriage, which helped consolidate his claims to Neoptolemus' kingdom.[17] Helenus prophesied Aeneas' founding of Rome when he and his followers stopped at Buthrotum, detailed by Virgil in Aeneid Book III.

Other myths edit

In one account, Helenus got his mother Hecuba after the Trojan War and they crossed over to the Chersonese where the queen was turned into a bitch. Helenus then buried her at the place now called the Bitch's Tomb.[18]

In one version of the myth, Agamemnon summoned all of the traitors who helped betray Troy and honored their promises to them after the sack of the Troy. Two of which were Helenus and Cassandra who had always pled with Priam for peace, and how Helenus had successfully urged the return of Achilles’ body for burial. Accordingly, Agamemnon, following the advice of the council, gave Helenus and Cassandra their freedom. Then Helenus, remembering how Hecuba and Andromache had always loved him, interceded with Agamemnon in their behalf. The latter by advice of the council gave these their freedom. It is said that these four migrated to the Thracian Chersonese where they settled with twelve hundred followers.[19]

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (c. 1136) Helenus was captured by Neoptolemus along with many other Trojans, and taken in chains to Greece as revenge for the death of Achilles in the Trojan War. Under Neoptolemus' orders, they and their descendants remained in slavery until the time of King Pandrasus several generations later, when they were liberated by Brutus of Troy.[20]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Sophocles, Philoctetes 1338; Euripides, Hecuba 89; Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2.7; Dares Phrygius, 12; Hyginus, Fabulae 128
  2. ^ Sophocles, Philoctetes 606; Virgil, Aeneid 3.295; Hyginus, Fabulae 90 & 273; Pausanias, 2.23.5–6 & 10.25.5
  3. ^ Apollodorus, 3.12.5; Dares Phrygius, 4
  4. ^ Photius, 'Bibliotheca excerpts'
  5. ^ D-scholia on Homeric scholarship
  6. ^ Eustathius, Commentary on the Iliad
  7. ^ Dares Phrygius, 7
  8. ^ Sophocles, Philoctetes 606 & 1388; Apollodorus, Epitome 5.9
  9. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 5.10
  10. ^ West (2013). The Epic Cycle. Oxford University Press. p. 263.
  11. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 6.12 & 13; Pausanias, 1.11.1 & 2.23.6
  12. ^ Virgil (1990). The Aeneid. Penguin Books, David West. pp. 65, line 292.
  13. ^ Virgil, Aeneid 3.295–296
  14. ^ Pausanias, 1.11.1 & 2.23.6
  15. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 6.13
  16. ^ Pausanias, 2.23.6
  17. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 6.13
  18. ^ Apollodorus, Epitome 5.23
  19. ^ Dares Phrygius, 42–44
  20. ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth. "Book 1" . Historia Regum Britanniae. Chapters 3–11 – via Wikisource.

References edit

 
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Helenus".
  • Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
  • Dares Phrygius, from The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer, Jr. (1931-). Indiana University Press. 1966. Online version at theio.com
  • Euripides, The Complete Greek Drama edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. in two volumes. 1. Hecuba, translated by E. P. Coleridge. New York. Random House. 1938. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 1. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1902. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
  • Marcus Tullius Cicero, Nature of the Gods from the Treatises of M.T. Cicero translated by Charles Duke Yonge (1812-1891), Bohn edition of 1878. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
  • Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Natura Deorum. O. Plasberg. Leipzig. Teubner. 1917. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
  • Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneid. Theodore C. Williams. trans. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Publius Vergilius Maro, Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics. J. B. Greenough. Boston. Ginn & Co. 1900. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Sophocles, The Philoctetes of Sophocles edited with introduction and notes by Sir Richard Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1893. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Sophocles, Sophocles. Vol 2: Ajax. Electra. Trachiniae. Philoctetes with an English translation by F. Storr. The Loeb classical library, 21. Francis Storr. London; New York. William Heinemann Ltd.; The Macmillan Company. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

December 04, 2023
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For other uses see Helenus mythology Helenos redirects here Not to be confused with HelenOS an operating system based on a multiserver microkernel design In Greek mythology Helenus ˈ h ɛ l e n e s Ancient Greek Ἕlenos Helenos Latin Helenus was a gentle and clever seer 1 He was also a Trojan prince as the son of King Priam 2 and Queen Hecuba of Troy 3 and the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra He was also called Scamandrios and was favored by Apollo 4 Sketch Illustration of HelenusContents 1 Mythology 1 1 Early years 1 2 Trojan War 1 3 Aftermath 1 4 Other myths 2 See also 3 Notes 4 ReferencesMythology editEarly years edit In the earliest sources Helenus and his sister Cassandra were given the power of prophecy by Apollo after their ears were licked by snakes 5 In other sources Helenus was taught the power by Cassandra but others generally believed his predictions After gaining foresight he was renamed from Scamandrius to Helenus by a Thracian soothsayer 6 Helenus predicted that if Alexander Paris brought home a Greek wife i e Helen the Achaeans would pursue and overpower Troy and slay his parents and brothers 7 Trojan War edit Helenus is described by Homer as being the greatest of augurs He advises Hector to challenge any Achaean to a duel which Telemonian Ajax accepts Helenus led the third battalion of the Trojan forces along with his brother Deiphobus He was also part of the Trojan forces led by his brother Hector that beat the Greeks back from the plains west of Troy and attacked their camp in the Iliad He is wounded in the hand by Menelaus and forced to retreat In the final year of the Trojan War Helenus vied against his brother Deiphobus for the hand of Helen after the death of their brother Paris but Helen was awarded to Deiphobus Disgruntled over his loss Helenus retreated to Mount Ida where Odysseus later captured him 8 He tells Odysseus perhaps after torture or coercion how to capture Troy they would win if they stole the Trojan Palladium brought the bones of Pelops to Troy and persuaded Neoptolemus Achilles son by the Scyrian princess Deidamia and Philoctetes who possessed Heracles bow and arrows to join the Greeks in the war 9 Neoptolemus was hiding from the war at Scyrus but the Greeks retrieved him Aftermath edit Neoptolemus had taken Andromache Helenus s sister in law and Hector s widow as a slave and concubine after the fall of Troy and fathered Molossus Pielus and Pergamus with her After the fall of Troy Helenus went with Neoptolemus according to Apollodorus Epitome 6 13 10 He traveled with Neoptolemus Andromache and their children to Epirus where Neoptolemus permitted him to found the city of Buthrotum 11 After Neoptolemus left Epirus he left Andromache and their sons in Helenus s care Neoptolemus was killed by Orestes Agamemmon s son in a dispute over Hermione the daughter of Menelaus and Helen whom Orestes had been promised as wife but whom Neoptolemus had taken As the kingdom of Neoptolemus was partitioned this led to Helenus acquiring the rule of Buthrotum as king Helenus a son of Priam was king over these Greek cities of Epirus having succeeded to the throne and bed of Neoptolemus 12 13 Andromache bore him a son Cestrinus 14 who is identified with Genger or Zenter a legendary Trojan king and father of Francus Some mythographers alleged that Helenus was given the hand of both Deidamia 15 and Andromache 16 in marriage which helped consolidate his claims to Neoptolemus kingdom 17 Helenus prophesied Aeneas founding of Rome when he and his followers stopped at Buthrotum detailed by Virgil in Aeneid Book III Other myths edit In one account Helenus got his mother Hecuba after the Trojan War and they crossed over to the Chersonese where the queen was turned into a bitch Helenus then buried her at the place now called the Bitch s Tomb 18 In one version of the myth Agamemnon summoned all of the traitors who helped betray Troy and honored their promises to them after the sack of the Troy Two of which were Helenus and Cassandra who had always pled with Priam for peace and how Helenus had successfully urged the return of Achilles body for burial Accordingly Agamemnon following the advice of the council gave Helenus and Cassandra their freedom Then Helenus remembering how Hecuba and Andromache had always loved him interceded with Agamemnon in their behalf The latter by advice of the council gave these their freedom It is said that these four migrated to the Thracian Chersonese where they settled with twelve hundred followers 19 In Geoffrey of Monmouth s Historia Regum Britanniae c 1136 Helenus was captured by Neoptolemus along with many other Trojans and taken in chains to Greece as revenge for the death of Achilles in the Trojan War Under Neoptolemus orders they and their descendants remained in slavery until the time of King Pandrasus several generations later when they were liberated by Brutus of Troy 20 See also editList of children of Priam The Golden Bough mythology Notes edit Sophocles Philoctetes 1338 Euripides Hecuba 89 Cicero De Natura Deorum 2 7 Dares Phrygius 12 Hyginus Fabulae 128 Sophocles Philoctetes 606 Virgil Aeneid 3 295 Hyginus Fabulae 90 amp 273 Pausanias 2 23 5 6 amp 10 25 5 Apollodorus 3 12 5 Dares Phrygius 4 Photius Bibliotheca excerpts D scholia on Homeric scholarship Eustathius Commentary on the Iliad Dares Phrygius 7 Sophocles Philoctetes 606 amp 1388 Apollodorus Epitome 5 9 Apollodorus Epitome 5 10 West 2013 The Epic Cycle Oxford University Press p 263 Apollodorus Epitome 6 12 amp 13 Pausanias 1 11 1 amp 2 23 6 Virgil 1990 The Aeneid Penguin Books David West pp 65 line 292 Virgil Aeneid 3 295 296 Pausanias 1 11 1 amp 2 23 6 Apollodorus Epitome 6 13 Pausanias 2 23 6 Apollodorus Epitome 6 13 Apollodorus Epitome 5 23 Dares Phrygius 42 44 Geoffrey of Monmouth Book 1 Historia Regum Britanniae Chapters 3 11 via Wikisource References edit nbsp Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica article Helenus Apollodorus The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer F B A F R S in 2 Volumes Cambridge MA Harvard University Press London William Heinemann Ltd 1921 ISBN 0 674 99135 4 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Greek text available from the same website Dares Phrygius from The Trojan War The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer Jr 1931 Indiana University Press 1966 Online version at theio com Euripides The Complete Greek Drama edited by Whitney J Oates and Eugene O Neill Jr in two volumes 1 Hecuba translated by E P Coleridge New York Random House 1938 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Euripides Euripidis Fabulae vol 1 Gilbert Murray Oxford Clarendon Press Oxford 1902 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library Gaius Julius Hyginus Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies Online version at the Topos Text Project Marcus Tullius Cicero Nature of the Gods from the Treatises of M T Cicero translated by Charles Duke Yonge 1812 1891 Bohn edition of 1878 Online version at the Topos Text Project Marcus Tullius Cicero De Natura Deorum O Plasberg Leipzig Teubner 1917 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library Pausanias Description of Greece with an English Translation by W H S Jones Litt D and H A Ormerod M A in 4 Volumes Cambridge MA Harvard University Press London William Heinemann Ltd 1918 ISBN 0 674 99328 4 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Pausanias Graeciae Descriptio 3 vols Leipzig Teubner 1903 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library Publius Vergilius Maro Aeneid Theodore C Williams trans Boston Houghton Mifflin Co 1910 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Publius Vergilius Maro Bucolics Aeneid and Georgics J B Greenough Boston Ginn amp Co 1900 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library Sophocles The Philoctetes of Sophocles edited with introduction and notes by Sir Richard Jebb Cambridge Cambridge University Press 1893 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Sophocles Sophocles Vol 2 Ajax Electra Trachiniae Philoctetes with an English translation by F Storr The Loeb classical library 21 Francis Storr London New York William Heinemann Ltd The Macmillan Company 1913 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Helenus of Troy amp oldid 1183892945, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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