Polites (son of Priam)
In Greek mythology, Polites (Ancient Greek: Πολίτης) was the legitimate son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba, known for his swiftness.[1] He was a brother of 49 other children. He was killed by Neoptolemus (Pyrrhus), son of Achilles, who then also killed Polites' father.[2] He is also known by his family as "defender of Troy."
Mythology
Polites was born to Priam, the king of Troy, and his wife Hecuba.[3] During his youth, Polites witnessed the Trojan War and was a supporting character in the Iliad.[4] In that work, he is described as a fast runner, who served as a scout.[5]
In the Iliad, Polites rescues his brother Deiphobus, who is injured, during the Trojan War.[6] During the episode of the Trojan Horse in the Trojan War, Polites was one of those who accepted the gift. During the fall of Troy and the attempted escape to Latium, Neoptolemus shot an arrow in Polites' leg. Polites fell, escaping Neoptolemus, who pursued Polites to his father's palace. Priam called on the gods to punish Neoptolemus, but in that scene, Priam was also killed by Neoptolemus.[2][7]
The Roman author Cato writes that Polites was the founder of a city, Politorium.[8] In the Aeneid, he fathered a son called Priam. This boy escaped Troy and was present at Anchises' funeral games.[9]
There are no certain representations of Polites in ancient Greek art. Some scholars have interpreted certain works of art as representing Polites, including a volute krater dating to around 570–560 BC.[10]
Namesake
- Asteroid 4867 Polites, named after Polites
See also
Notes
- ^ Homer. Iliad, II, 791; XIII, 533.
- ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(4867) Polites". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4867) Polites. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 420. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4761. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ Zimmermann, para. 1.
- ^ Homer, Iliad, Book II, verse 791; Book XIII, verse 533
- ^ Rose, para. 1.
- ^ Zimmermann, para. 1.
- ^ Virgil. Aeneid, II.
- ^ Zimmermann, para. 1.
- ^ Virgil. Aeneid, V.
- ^ Kossatz-Deissmann, p. 424. On this representation, see Beazley Archive 300000.
References
- Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Homer, Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Kossatz-Deissmann, Anneliese, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC). VII.1: Oidipous – Theseus, Zurich and Munich, Artemis Verlag, 1994. ISBN 3760887511. Internet Archive.
- Rose, Herbert Jennings, "Polites", in Oxford Classical Dictionary, edited by Tim Whitmarsh, New York, Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN 9780199381135.
- Virgil, Aeneid. Theodore C. Williams. trans. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Virgil, Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics. J. B. Greenough. Boston. Ginn & Co. 1900. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Zimmermann, Bernhard, "Polites (1)", in Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 11, Phi – Prok, edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, Leiden, Brill, 2007. ISBN 9789004142169.
External links
- Media related to Polites of Troy at Wikimedia Commons