King Priam: The Last Standing King of Troy

King priam the last king of troyKing Priam was the last standing king of Troy during the Trojan war. He was an important figure in ancient Greek mythology. His story is explained in the Book three of the Illiad by Homer in a very captivating way. In this article, we look at the life, death, and characteristics of King Priam of Troy and how he was involved in the infamous Trojan war.

Who Was King Priam?

If King Priam is mentioned anywhere in the literature or in the stories, he is shown as the valiant king of Troy who fought bravely in the Trojan war. He was a handsome-looking king who was known for his kindness and generosity. He was the last standing king of Troy,

King Priam in Mythology

The name, Priam is very exclusive in the mythology. It means “a person who is exceptionally courageous.” There could not have been a more perfect way to name him. Other than this, some places associate the meaning of Priam to “buy.” This is related to when Priam’s sister had to pay ransom to get Priam back from Heracles thus repurchasing him in a way.

Nevertheless, in Greek Mythology, Priam was an exceptional king who should by his people till the end of the war lastly, lost his life defending his great city of Troy. For a deeper understanding of Priam, we start with his family and his rise to power.

Origin of King Priam in the Greek Mythology

Priam was one of the three legitimate children born to Laomedon. His two other siblings were Hesione and Tithonus. These three were the only children of Laomedon who were born from wedlock but the identity of Laomedon’s first wife is unknown. His other famous siblings are Lampus, Cilla, and Proclia.

The kingship of Troy was passed on in their family, and as Priam was the oldest legitimate son of Laomedon, he ascended the throne. The moment when he came into power, he brought many new developments to the city. The city thrived under his rule. However, fate had other plans for his beloved city.

Features

King Priam is described as a very handsome man. He was particularly muscular and had a very manly build. His eyes were the shade of green and his hair was silky and blonde. He does sound like the perfect king and so he was.

His personality was no less either. Apart from being a great, generous, and kind king, he was an amazing swordsman and was well-versed in warfare tactics. He brought life to his army and joy to his kingdom. Priam was forever in love with his children and his city of Troy.

Marriage and Children

King Priam of Troy married Hecuba who was the daughter of Greek Phrygian king Dymas. They lived a very happy life together even though Priam was very famous among the ladies. He had several concubines at his disposal but his heart belonged to Hecuba.

With his Queen Hecuba and several concubines, Priam fathered many legitimate and illegitimate children. Some of his most known children are Hector, Paris, Helenus, Cassandra, Deiphobus, Troilus, Laodice, Polyxena, Creusa, and Polydorus. His children were very famous in Greek mythology, even and ever famous than their father. Each of his children had a storyline in the Illiad as described by Homer.

King Priam in the Trojan War

Much to the bad luck of Prima, the great Trojan war occurred when Priam was the king. He nevertheless gave his all to defend his beloved city. The Trojan war started because Paris, one of many sons of Priam, abducted the Queen of Sparta, Helen. This started the Trojan war that would change the course of Greek mythology and all the while will be the most famous Greek war.

Menelaus, the husband of Helen and the King of Sparta, convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to declare war against Troy in order to get Helen back. King Priam was directly involved in the war as his own son had brought Helen to his gates. He let them stay and prepared for the war because he could not bear to see his son in distress and more than that, he could not see Troy fall.

The war lasted around 10 years and was full of pain, death, blood, and resentment. Nevertheless, the war raged on and the Troy fell in the end. But in between a lot of stories unfold as written in the Illiad.

King Priam and Achilles

The war was between the Greeks and the people of Troy. It killed many people from both sides. King Priam however lost the most. He lost his son, Hector who was killed by Achilles.

Achilles then paraded the body of Hector in King Priam’s city of Troy as a sign of his great swordsmanship and valor. A lot of people lost respect for him there and then. He refused to give up his body back to the people of Troy and continued to degrade it. King Priam was lost in words and did not know what to do because he wanted to see his son for one last time and give him a proper burial.

This was when Zeus sent Hermes to escort King Priam to the Greek camp so that he could personally meet and convince Achilles to not ruin his son’s dead body and to at least let him have a proper burial.

Retrieval of Hector’s Body

King Priam and Achilles met at the camp where Priam talked his heart out. He begged and begged Achilles but he would not give in. Priam gave references to Achilles’ dead father but Achilles was not a soft soul.

Achilles was hell bound on keeping hector’s rotting body with him and sending Priam back empty-handed. Suddenly, Priam knelt and kissed Achilles’ hand leaving Achilles stunned. Priam said that no one has felt his pain and he leaves it all to the man who killed his son. Something sparked in Achilles and he was turned.

Achilles gave back the body and announced a 10-day truce. He promised that no Greek soldier would set foot in their territory and that they could give Hector a proper burial and a well-deserved funeral. However, he also warned them that from the 11th day, the war would continue without any delay. King Priam happily agreed and went back to Troy with Hector’s body where the funeral processions were waiting for them.

Death of King Priam

The war continued right on the 11th day and everything went bloody again. The last king of Troy, Priam was killed by Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles. His death was a big setback to the kingdom. His death also sealed the fate of his city, Troy. The city was sacked and the Greeks took Troy.

The Illiad by Homer describes the Trojan war and all the characters that were in a wonderful yet devastating way. It indeed did poetic justice to the feelings of Greek mythology.

FAQ

Was Priam a Good King?

King Priam was a very good king. He was kind to his people and was known for his generosity. After he became the king, the city thrived under his rule. Everyone was living happily until the Trojan war wrecked the town.

Who Was the First King of Troy?

Teucer was the first king of Troy in Greek mythology. He was the son of the sea god, Scamander and Idaea. With his wife and several concubines, Teucer had 50 sons and 12 daughters who populated Troy.

In the Iliad, Why Did Priam and Achilles Cry?

Priam and Achilles cried in Illiad because they both had lost someone significant to them in the Trojan war. Priam lost his beloved son, Hector, and Achilles lost his best friend and companion, Patroclus.

Conclusion

King Priam was the last king of the city of Troy when the Greeks declared the Trojan war. Priam loves his children and his city. He lost both because he could not let his son, Paris, be punished for his crimes. Here are the main points from the article:King priam who was he

  • Priam was one of the three legitimate children born to Laomedon. His two other siblings were Hesione and Tithonus. He married Hecuba and had several children with her and various other concubines.
  • Priam’s most famous children are Hector, Paris, Helenus, Cassandra, Deiphobus, Troilus, Laodice, Polyxena, Creusa, and Polydorus.
  • King Priam is described as a very handsome man with a muscular body, green eyes, and silky blonde hair.
  • In the Trojan war, King Priam and Achilles met at the Greek camp where Priam begged Achilles to return his son, Hector’s body which was being paraded in the city by Achilles. After many persuasions, Achilles finally gave it back.
  • Priam finally died in the city of Troy at the hands of Neoptolemus, who was Achilles’ son.

What happened to King Priam is very tragic. His fate brought him and his city down to the ground. Here we come to the end of the article. We hope you had a pleasant read.

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