TROILUS (mythical prince of Troy)
Figure of myth · mythical prince of Troy in Greek mythology
Troilus, the godlike and beardless son of Hecuba, was the most handsome of the fair sons she bore in Troy.1,2 Some accounts name Apollo as his father, while others identify him simply as the child of the old man speaking in the passage.2,3 Born after his brothers Deiphobus, Helenus, Pammon, Polites, Antiphus, Hipponous, and Polydorus, he was still a virgin without a bride.2,1 His appearance was marked by purple cheeks that shone with the light of love, and he was described as almost a child despite his status.4,1
Considered one of the bravest sons in Troy, Troilus was also a dauntless charioteer who won a race for a chariot drawn by foals.3,5 Fate lured him into war at the very threshold of his youth, cutting him down like a young plant before he reached full maturity.1 He was slain within the sanctuary of Thymbraean Apollo, a death Achilles inflicted while sacking Lyrnessus and Pedasus.6,7,3,1
Achilles defeated and stripped Troilus of his weapons, dragging him behind his chariot while he still held the reins.8 As he was pulled, his hair and shoulders trailed on the ground, and his spear tip scratched the dust along the way.8 After his death, his arms were given to Teucer as a prize for winning the archery contest, an act attributed to Peleus' bride.1
In the afterlife, Troilus is described as one of two royal souls being ferried by Charon.9 Though young and unmarred by the trials of age, his life ended in violence, leaving behind a legacy of beauty and bravery cut short.1,3
The codex facts behind this entry
In the myths
Achilles killed Troilus while sacking Lyrnessus and Pedasus. Apollodorus, Epitome 3.32 +2
Fate
Achilles killed Troilus. Iliad 24 ¶18 +2
