Antenor: The Various Greek Mythologies of King Priam’s Counselor
Antenor of Troy was an aged and wise counselor who offered great services to Priam, the king of Troy, and his wife, Hecuba, before and during the Trojan War. He did not fight in the war due to his age but had his children fight in his stead. Depending on the source of the myth, Antenor later turned from a trusted advisor to an untrustworthy traitor. To know why he switched from being a counselor to betraying the trust of his masters, keep on reading.
The Lineage and Family of Antenor
He was born in Dardanoi, a city situated in northwestern Anatolia which shared common values, norms, and practices with the Trojans. His father was Aesysetes, a nobleman and Trojan hero, and his mother was Cleomestra, a Trojan princess. Other sources place the Trojan Hicetaon as the father of Antenor. He married the priestess of Athena in Troy known as Theano and had several children with her including the warriors Acamas, Agenor, Archilochus, and a daughter, Crino.
Most of his children fought the Trojan War and died except a few who, along with their father, survived the 10-year grueling war. Later, he adopted a fatherless son named Pedaeus whose mother is unknown. Many scholars believe that he and the King of Troy shared the same bloodline or kinship.
The Myth of Antenor According to Homer
In Homer’s Iliad, Antenor was against the kidnap of Helen of Troy, and when she finally was kidnapped, he advised the Trojans to return her. Antenor also pushed for a peaceful settlement with the Greeks by urging Paris to return the treasure of Menelaus, which he stole. However, as evident in the epic poem, the Trojans refused to heed his advice, culminating in the Trojan War that lasted for ten years.
Antenor also took part in the pre-duel rituals between Menelaus and Paris for the return of Helen. During the actual duel, Menelaus proved the strongest as he nearly killed Paris only to be rescued by Aphrodite, the goddess of love. The reason was that when Zeus asked Paris to choose the most beautiful goddess among the three goddesses; Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena, Paris chose Aphrodite. Aphrodite then promised Paris to give him the most beautiful woman in the world as his prize.
So, when Menelaus, who had overpowered Paris, began to drag him by his helmet, Aphrodite caused the helmet’s straps to break, freeing Paris. The frustrated Menelaus tried to drive his spear into Paris, only for Paris to be whisked to his room by Aphrodite. Antenor, once again, took the opportunity to advise the Trojans to let Helen return peacefully to her husband to avoid bloodshed.
Antenor’s Speech to the Trojans
Antenor said to the Trojans in Book 7 of the Iliad, “Hear me, Trojans, Dardans, all our loyal allies, I must speak out what the heart inside me urges. On with it – give Argive Helen and all her treasures back to Atreus’ sons to take away at last. We broke our sworn truce. We fight as outlaws. True, and what profit for us in the long run? Nothing – unless we do exactly as I say”.
Paris replied, “Stop, Antenor! No more of your hot insistence – it repels me… I won’t give up the woman”. Paris instead insisted on returning the treasure he stole from Menelaus.
When the Trojan council decided to kill Menelaus and Odysseus, Antenor intervened and pleaded that the two Achaeans be allowed safe passage out of Troy. He saw that Menelaus and Odysseus were not molested as they made their way out of the city.
Antenor and His Sons During the Trojan War
As the Trojan War continued, Antenor insisted that Helen be returned to the Greeks to stop the hostilities, but Paris and other council members were adamant. That notwithstanding, Antenor allowed most of his children to fight in the war, defending the city against a Greek invasion. His sons, Archilochus and Acamas, led the Dardanian contingent under the overall commander of Aeneas.
Unfortunately, Antenor lost most of his children in the Trojan War, which many believe changed his heart and how he felt towards Troy. His son Acamas fell to either Meriones or Philoctetes, while Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, slew Agenor and Polybus. Ajax the Great also killed Arcehlous and Laodamas while Iphidamas and Coon suffered death at the hands of Agamemnon. Meges killed Pedeaus, and Achilles slew Demoleon by striking him on the temple through his bronze-cheeked helmet.
During the war, the Greeks committed many atrocities, including throwing the young Astyanax, son of Hector, from the city’s walls. At the war’s end, Antenor was only left with four sons – Laodocus, Glaucus, Helicaon, and Eurymachus with their sister Crino. Glaucus (who fought alongside Sarpedon) and Helicaon were saved by Odysseus when the Achaean warriors attempted to kill them. Antenor mourned his children for weeks and may have resented the Trojans for not heed his advice.
Antenor After the Trojan War
The war finally ended when the wooden Trojan Horse was brought into the city, allowing the elite soldiers to attack the city. During the sack of Troy, Antenor’s house was left untouched. According to the literary work of Dares Phrygius, Antenor became a traitor by opening the gates of Troy for the Greeks. Other versions indicate that his house was not destroyed because the Greeks recognized his efforts in pushing for a peaceful resolution.
To protect his home from destruction, Antenor hung a leopard’s skin on his door, signifying his residence; thus, when the Greek warriors got to his house, they left it intact. Later, Aeneas and Antenor made peace with the former departing the city along with his troops.
What City Did Antenor Found?
The sacking of Troy left the city uninhabitable, so Antenor and his family left to found the city of Padua, according to the Aeneid by the Roman poet Vergil.
Antenor Pronunciation
The name is pronounced as ‘aen-tehn-er’ with Antenor meaning antagonist.
Summary
So far, we’ve studied the life of Antenor and how he switched from a loyal elder to a betrayer of Troy. Here is a summary of all that we’ve discovered so far:
- He was born to either Aesysetes or Hicetaon with Cleomestra in the city of Dardanoi in Anatolia.
- He had several children with his wife Theano but most of them died while fighting for the cause of Troy.
- Antenor did not want the war to happen so he did his very best to convince the king and his son to return Helen but Antenor king refused.
Antenor became a traitor who opened the gates of Troy to be ransacked by the Greeks. Later, he found the city of Padua after the Greeks spared him and his surviving children.
