In Greek mythology, Priam, the mythical king of Troy during the Trojan War, supposedly had 50 sons and several daughters, though names often varied across sources. Priam had several wives, the primary one Hecuba, daughter of Dymas or Cisseus, and several concubines, who bore his children. There is no exhaustive list, but many of them are mentioned in various Greek myths. Almost all of Priam's children were slain by the Greeks in the course of the war, or shortly after.
The three main sources for the names of the children of Priam are: Homer's Iliad, where a number of his sons are briefly mentioned among the defenders of Troy; and two lists in the Bibliotheca and Hyginus' Fabulae. Virgil also mentions some of Priam's sons and daughters in the Aeneid. Some of the daughters taken captive at the end of the war are mentioned by Pausanias, who in his turn refers to paintings by Polygnotus in the Lesche of Delphi.
Sons
NameSources Mother, if known NotesHomerApollodorusApollodorus, 3.12.5HyginusVirgilDictysOthers Hector✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Central Trojan hero in Trojan War; heir apparent; killed by Achilles, who attached Hector's body to his chariot and dragged it around city. Paris✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Raised as a shepherd; his marriage with Helen launched the Trojan War; killed by Philoctetes. Deiphobus✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Maybe the most cunning of Trojan princes, married Helen after Paris' death. He was slain during the sack of Troy by Odysseus and/or Menelaus. Helenus✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba The twin of Cassandra and, like her, a seer. Lost out to Deiphobus in competition for the hand of Helen after Paris's death. Later marries Andromache. Polydorus✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba or LaothoeHomer, Iliad 20 & 22 Youngest of the sons. Killed by King Polymestor of ThraceEuripides, HecubaOvid, Metamorphoses 13 or killed by Achilles or survivedHyginus, Fabulae 109 Troilus✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Possibly fathered by Apollo. Killed by AchillesPolites✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Killed by Neoptolemus when Troy was sacked Hippothous✓✓✓ Killed by the AjaxesKebriones✓✓✓ Killed by Patroclus with a stone Gorgythion✓✓✓✓ Castianeira Killed in battle by Teucer, whose arrow was aimed at Hector,Homer, Iliad 8.303-305 or by PatroclusDictys Cretensis, 3.8Agathon✓✓✓✓ Killed by Ajax the GreatDictys Cretensis, 4.7 Mestor✓✓✓✓✓Dio Chrysostom, Speeches 11.77 Killed by AchillesApollodorus, E.3.32 or taken as a slave by NeoptolemusDictys Cretensis, 6.9 Chromius✓✓✓ Killed by DiomedesHomer, Iliad 5.160 Doryclus✓✓✓✓ Killed by Ajax Democoon✓✓✓ Killed by Odysseus in his rage of a lost comrade at the spear of Antiphus Antiphus✓✓✓ Hecuba Killed by AgamemnonHomer, Iliad 4.489 or Ajax the GreatLycaon✓✓✓ Laothoe Killed by Achilles Pammon✓✓✓ Hecuba Killed by Neoptolemus when Troy was sacked Dius✓✓ Isus✓ Killed by AgamemnonHomer, Iliad 4.489Antiphonus✓ Killed by Neoptolemus when Troy was sacked Echemmon✓✓✓ Killed by Diomedes or by OdysseusArchemachus✓✓✓ Killed by Agamemnon Aretus ✓✓✓ Killed by a spear from AutomedonHomer, Iliad 17.495-525 or by OdysseusAscanius✓✓✓ Bias✓✓✓Killed by Idomeneus Deiopites ✓✓✓ Killed by Meges when Troy was sacked or killed by AgamemnonDryops✓✓✓ Killed by Achilles or IdomeneusEvagoras✓✓ Evander✓✓✓ Sacrificed at the funeral of Patroclus by AchillesDictys Cretensis, 3.14Hyperochus✓✓ Polymedon✓✓ Aegeoneus✓ Aesacus ✓✓✓ Arisbe or Alexirhoe A seer; turned into a diving birdOvid, Metamorphoses 11 or killed by AgamemnonDictys Cretensis, 3.7Astygonus✓Atas✓Chersidamas✓✓ Killed by Odysseus Clonius ✓ Echephron✓Glaucus✓✓Killed by Ajax the Greater Hippodamas✓✓ Killed by Achilles or the Ajaxes Hipponous ✓ Hecuba Killed by Achilles just before the latter's deathHyperion✓Idomeneus✓ Laodocus✓✓Killed by AgamemnonLysithous✓ Melanippus ✓✓Photius, Bibliotheca 190.37. Shot to death by Teucer Mylius ✓✓Killed by the AjaxesPhilaemon✓Telestas✓✓Killed by DiomedesAntinous✓Astynomus✓Killed by AchillesHyginus, Fabulae 113Axion✓✓Pausanias, Description of Greece, 10.27.2 Killed by EurypylusBrissonius✓Cheirodamas✓Chrysolaus✓Dolon✓Eresus✓ Hero(n)✓ Hippasus✓Hipposidus✓Ilagus✓Lysides✓ Palaemon✓Polymelus✓Proneos✓Protodamas✓Chaon✓✓Servius, Commentary on Virgil's Aeneid 3.297Namesake of Chaonia; accidentally killed by Helenus or sacrificed himself to stop a plagueServius, Commentary of Virgil's Aeneid 3.335Agavus✓Killed by Ajax the GreatAsteropaeus✓Killed by AchillesChorithan✓Killed by IdomeneusIlioneus✓✓Ovid, Heroides 16, Paris to HelenKilled by Ajax the LesserPhilenor✓Killed by Ajax the Lesser or AgamemnonThyestes✓Killed by DiomedesIdaeus ✓ Amphimachus✓Dares Phrygius, 37 Perhaps a stand-in for the elder Antimachus; advocated for war with the GreeksPisus✓Sacrificed at the funeral of Patroclus by AchillesMunippus✓Tzetzes ad Lycophronem, 319CillaBorn on the same day as Paris; killed alongside his mother by Priam to spare ParisTisiphonus✓Quintus Smyrnaeus, Posthomerica (Neil Hopkinson Translation) 1.406 & 13.215Husband of Hippodameia, daughter of Antimachus; killed by Neoptolemus when Troy was sackedDiores✓✓Participant in the funeral games of AnchisesVirgil, Aeneid 5Laocoön✓✓✓✓Peck, Harry Thurston, ed. (1898). "Laocoön". Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities. Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via Perseus project, Tufts University.Also said to be a son of Antenor or Acoetes; killed alongside his sons by Poseidon or Athena after warning the Trojans about the wooden horseAstynous✓Killed by Agamemnon
Daughters
Name Sources Mother, if known NotesHomerApollodorusHyginusHyginus, Fabulae 90PausaniasVirgil Cassandra✓✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Helenus' twin, Priestess of Apollo and by him given the gift of prophecy, but cursed never to be believed; taken as a slave by Agamemnon and murdered by Clytemnestra Laodice✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Homer calls her the most beautiful of Priam's daughters; swallowed by the earth when Troy was sackedApollodorus, E.5.23Quintus Smyrnaeus, 13.544Tryphiodorus, The Taking of Ilios, 660Medesicaste✓✓✓✓ An illegitimate daughter; was married to Imbrius Creusa✓✓✓✓ Hecuba Married to Aeneas; died when Troy was sackedMedusa✓✓✓Aristodeme✓ Lysimache✓ Polyxena✓✓✓ Hecuba Captured by the Greeks, and later sacrificed on Achilles' tomb to cause a wind back to GreeceDemnosia✓Demosthea✓Ethionome✓Henicea✓ Iliona ✓✓Hecuba Eldest daughterLysianassa✓Nereis✓Phegea✓Philomela✓Aristomache✓ Was married to Critolaus, son of Hicetaon
Pausanias enlists several more Trojan captive women, who may or may not be daughters of Priam: Clymene, Xenodice, Deinome, Metioche, Peisis, Cleodice. He remarks, however, that of these only Clymene and Deinome were mentioned in literary sources known to him, and that the rest of the names could have been invented by Polygnotus.
Footnotes Aeneas – who later led the survivors of Troy – was not a son of Priam, but his father Anchises was Priam's second cousin, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin once removed. Aeneas did, however, marry Priam's daughter Creusa, making him a son-in-law of Priam. Ascanius, the son of Aeneas and Creusa, was himself the ancestor of Romulus and Remus. According to Homer: Lycaon is the son of Laothoe. Gorgythion is the son of Castianeira. According to Apollodorus: Aesacus's mother is Arisbe, daughter of Merops. Hecuba, daughter of Dymas is the mother of Hector, Paris, Deiphobus, Helenus, Pammon, Polites, Antiphus, Hipponous, Polydorus, Troilus (Troilus may be the son of Apollo), Laodice, Polyxena, Cassandra and Creusa. In Mozart's opera Idomeneo, Ilia is mentioned as another daughter of Priam. Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio, in his Genealogy of the Pagan Gods, mentions many of the above children along with the following additions, citing the now lost works of Paul of Perugia and Barlaam of SeminaraGiovanni Boccaccio, De genealogiis deorum gentilium VI: Lycaste, a daughter of Priam and a concubine. She married Polydamas, son of Antenor. Teucer, a son of Priam and the nymph Anthydona. Before the Trojan War began, he was mauled to death by a bear in the Bebrycian woods. Phorbas, a son of Priam and Epythesia, daughter of Stasyppus of Mygdonia. He was so advanced in age that at times he was thought to be Priam's brother rather than his son, and was advised against fighting in the Trojan War. Nonetheless, he entered battle and was slain by Menelaus. He was the father of Ilioneus, a Trojan slain by Peneleos or a companion of Aeneas. Iphitus and Testhorius, twin sons of Priam and the nymph Perivia. Both were slain by Antilochus, son of Nestor. Dictys Cretensis mentions two unnamed sons of Priam who were killed during the Greek landing on the shores of Troy,Dictys Cretensis, 2.11 as well as another unnamed son whom Achilles captured, cutting his hands off and sending him back to Troy to deliver the news of Hector's death.Dictys Cretensis, 3.15
Notes
References
Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website. Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project. 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. Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library. Publius Vergilius Maro, Aeneid. Theodore C. Williams. trans. Boston. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1910. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Publius Vergilius Maro, Bucolics, Aeneid, and Georgics. J. B. Greenough. Boston. Ginn & Co. 1900. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.