Polydorus. Polydorus or Polydoros is the youngest son of Priam and Hecuba in the mythology of the Trojan War.
Polydorus is an example of the fluid nature of myth, as his role and story vary significantly in different traditions and sources. In Homer's Greek epic the Iliad, Polydorus is depicted briefly as a foe to Achilles.
According to this source, Polydorus was the youngest son of Priam, and thus his father would not let him fight. Achilles, however, sees him on the battlefield showing off his great speed running through the lines and spears him, ending his life.
Seeing his brother Polydorus' death causes Hector to challenge Achilles. In Euripides' tragedy Hecuba, the ghost of Polydorus is a character, and his death is the cause of the main conflict of the play.
Polydorus' ghost presents the prologue of the play, explaining that he was sent to Thrace under the protection of King Polymestor in case Troy fell. With his son, Priam sent gold so that if Troy should fall his son could continue to support himself. Once Troy fell, however, Polymestor killed Polydorus by throwing him into the sea and stole the gold. Polydorus laments the fact that his body is adrift in the sea without the proper death rites. Later in the play, a slave woman tells Hecuba that Polydorus' body has been found washed up on shore. Hecuba explains that she saw the murderer of Polydorus in a dream and it is Polymestor.
Polydorus is an example of the fluid nature of myth, as his role and story vary significantly in different traditions and sources. In Homer's Greek epic the Iliad, Polydorus is depicted briefly as a foe to Achilles.
According to this source, Polydorus was the youngest son of Priam, and thus his father would not let him fight. Achilles, however, sees him on the battlefield showing off his great speed running through the lines and spears him, ending his life.
Seeing his brother Polydorus' death causes Hector to challenge Achilles. In Euripides' tragedy Hecuba, the ghost of Polydorus is a character, and his death is the cause of the main conflict of the play.
Polydorus' ghost presents the prologue of the play, explaining that he was sent to Thrace under the protection of King Polymestor in case Troy fell. With his son, Priam sent gold so that if Troy should fall his son could continue to support himself. Once Troy fell, however, Polymestor killed Polydorus by throwing him into the sea and stole the gold. Polydorus laments the fact that his body is adrift in the sea without the proper death rites. Later in the play, a slave woman tells Hecuba that Polydorus' body has been found washed up on shore. Hecuba explains that she saw the murderer of Polydorus in a dream and it is Polymestor.
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