TROS (ruler of Troy in Greek mythology)
Figure of myth · ruler of Troy in Greek mythology
- Parents
- Erichthonius of Dardania, Astyoche
- Consorts
- Callirhoe, Acallaris
- Children
- Ganymede, Ilus, Assaracus, Cleopatra, Cleomestra
- In the sources
- 12 ancient passages
Tros, the great of heart, ruled the Trojans as a king descended from Zeus and sprung from the line of Dardanus.1,2,3,4 His nature was marked by deep capacity for both unsoothed grief and sudden, joyful rejoicing.5
After his father died, Tros succeeded to the kingdom and named the country Troy and its people Trojans after himself.6,7 He married Callirrhoe, the daughter of Scamander, and also had a union with Acallaris.6 He fathered Ilus, Assaracus, Cleopatra, Cleomestra, and Ganymede.
Hermes told Tros that his son would become deathless and unageing.5 As compensation for the loss, Zeus gave Tros a specific stock of high-stepping, storm-footed horses.5,8,9 Before this news, Tros had grieved constantly because he did not know where his son had gone.5 Upon hearing the tidings, he stopped mourning and rejoiced in his heart, riding joyfully on his new horses.5
Tros received a golden chalice from Erichthonius, which he later bequeathed to Ilus along with his other treasures.4 His son Ilus drove Tantalus out of Paphlagonia.10
Tros lived as a figure of great heart, whose legacy endured in the name of his land and the treasures he passed to his heirs.4,6,7
The codex facts behind this entry
Tros was part of a lineage that included Erichthonius, Ilus, Assaracus, and Ganymede. Georgics 3.1 +1
In the myths
Tros named the country Troy and its people Trojans after himself. Apollodorus 3.12.2 +1 Zeus gave Tros high-stepping horses as compensation for the abduction of Ganymedes. Hymn V to Aphrodite ll. 202-217 +1
