Kara Sears
Hecuba, the Queen of Troy, was married to King Priam of Troy, with whom she had several children, including Hector, Paris, and the prophet Cassandra. Hecuba is a central character in two of Euripides' plays, The Trojan Women and Hecuba, both of which explore the aftermath of Troy's fall and Hecuba's subsequent enslavement by Odysseus. Hecuba's interactions with key figures like Briseis, Menelaus, and Agamemnon highlight her significant role in the Trojan War saga. However, the question of whether Hecuba married her brother-in-law remains unanswered, as the focus is primarily on her marriage to King Priam and her pivotal role as the Queen of Troy during the war.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Hecuba |
| Title | Queen of Troy |
| Husband | King Priam of Troy |
| Children | Hector, Paris, Troilus, Polydorus, Polites, Antiphus, Pammon, Hipponous, Polyxena, Iliona, Helenus, Deiphobus, Laodice, Creusa, Cassandra, Astyanax |
| Parents | King Dymas of Phrygia and Eioneus, or Cisseus and Telecleia |
| Appearance | Dark complexion, beautiful, long nose |
| Personality | Wise, pious, just, calm, talkative |
| Fate | Transformed into a dog, buried at Kynosema ('dog's grave') |
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What You'll Learn
Hecuba's lineage and parentage
Hecuba, also known as Hecabe, was a queen in Greek mythology, the wife of King Priam of Troy during the Trojan War. She was the mother of nineteen children, the most famous being Hector, Paris, and Cassandra.
Ancient sources vary on Hecuba's lineage and parentage. According to Homer, she was the daughter of King Dymas of Phrygia and the nymph Eunoe or Euagora. Euripides and Virgil, however, write of her as the daughter of the Thracian king Cisseus and Telecleia. This lineage would make her a full sister of Theano.
The mythographers Pseudo-Apollodorus and Hyginus leave open the question of which lineage is correct, with Pseudo-Apollodorus adding a third alternative: Hecuba's parents could also be the river god Sangarius and Metope, or by Glaucippe, the daughter of Xanthus (Scamander).
Hecuba's early life, though not extensively documented, was presumably one of privilege and royalty. As she grew up, she married Priam, the king of Troy, and together they had many children. Her interactions with key figures such as Briseis, Menelaus, and Agamemnon highlight her central role in the Trojan War saga.
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Hecuba's marriage to King Priam
Hecuba, also known as Hecabe or Hekabe in Greek, was the Queen of Troy and the wife of King Priam. She was the daughter of King Dymas of Phrygia and the Naiad Euagora, though some sources claim her parents were Cisseus and Telecleia.
Hecuba and King Priam had 19 children, including notable figures like Hector, Paris, and the prophet Cassandra. Hecuba's interactions with other key figures, such as Briseis, Menelaus, and Agamemnon, highlight her central role in the Trojan War saga.
Before the war, Hecuba experienced a haunting dream that would foreshadow the doom of Troy. In this dream, she gave birth to a flaming torch that set the city on fire. Distraught, she consulted seers who interpreted the dream as a prophecy: her unborn child would be the cause of Troy's destruction. After Hecuba and King Priam gave birth to Paris, they made a heart-wrenching decision to abandon him on Mount Ida to save their city. However, Paris later discovered his royal lineage and returned to Troy, setting the stage for the city's downfall.
During the war, Hecuba faced immense personal tragedies, including the loss of many of her children. Her eldest son, Hector, was killed by Achilles, and her youngest son, Polydorus, was murdered by Polymestor, the Thracian king, despite being sent away for safekeeping. Hecuba took revenge on Polymestor by blinding him and killing his two sons, an act for which the gods punished her by transforming her into a dog.
Hecuba's portrayal in myths is one of a devoted mother and queen. She is a central character in Greek mythology, with her life deeply intertwined with the fate of Troy.
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The birth of Hecuba's son, Paris
Hecuba, the Queen of Troy, had a total of 19 children, including the warrior Hector, the prophetess Cassandra, and Paris. Hecuba was married to King Priam of Troy, and Paris was their son.
Before Paris was born, Hecuba had a haunting dream that she gave birth to a flaming torch, which was interpreted as a prophecy that her unborn child would be the cause of Troy's destruction. On the day of Paris's birth, the seer Aesacus announced that the child born of a royal Trojan that day would have to be killed to spare the kingdom. Hecuba and Priam could not bring themselves to kill their baby son, so they ordered their infant son to be left on Mount Ida, hoping nature would take him. However, the herdsman tasked with the deed could not kill the child either, so he left him on the mountain, where he was saved by drinking milk from a female bear.
Paris was eventually raised by shepherds and discovered his royal lineage, returning to Troy and setting the stage for the city's downfall. Paris's elopement with Helen, Queen of Sparta, sparked the Trojan War. Paris's noble birth was betrayed by his outstanding beauty and intelligence. He was described as "well-grown, sturdy, white, good nose, good eyes, black pupils, black hair, [with an] incipient beard".
Paris's relationship with Helen did not last, as she later begged his first wife, the nymph Oenone, to heal him after he was mortally wounded by Philoctetes. Oenone, still bitter about being left for Helen, refused, and Helen returned to Troy alone. Paris died later that same day.
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The death of Hecuba's son, Polydorus
Hecuba, the wife of King Priam of Troy, had many children, including Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. One of her sons was Polydorus, the youngest, who was sent away to his brother-in-law, King Polymestor of Thrace, for safekeeping during the Trojan War. Polydorus was sent with gifts of gold and jewels, but when Troy fell, Polymestor murdered him, claiming the gifts for himself.
Hecuba, upon discovering her son's body washed up on a foreign shore, was consumed by grief and rage. With the help of other Trojan women, she devised a plan for revenge. They lured Polymestor with promises of more gold and treasures, blinding him and killing his two sons. Hecuba's act of vengeance was considered an overstep of mortal boundaries, and as a result, the gods transformed her into a dog.
In the play 'Hecuba' by Euripides, the death of Polydorus and Hecuba's subsequent grief and revenge are central themes. The play depicts Hecuba's despair upon recognizing her son's body, believed to be safe, and her plea to Agamemnon for revenge. The ghost of Polydorus also plays a significant role in the play, sharing foreknowledge of the events and haunting his mother's dreams.
The myth of Hecuba and the death of her son, Polydorus, is a tragic tale of loss, grief, and revenge. It highlights Hecuba's portrayal in myths as a devoted mother and queen, whose life was deeply intertwined with the fate of Troy.
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Hecuba's enslavement by Odysseus
Hecuba, the wife of King Priam of Troy, was enslaved by Odysseus after the fall of Troy. Hecuba's enslavement is depicted in Euripides' play "The Trojan Women", which describes the aftermath of the Trojan War.
Before the war, Hecuba had asked Polymestor, the Thracian king, to protect her youngest son, Polydorus, who was too young to fight. However, when Hecuba arrived in Thrace after the fall of Troy, she discovered that Polymestor had killed her son, lured by greed for the gold and jewels sent with him. Consumed by rage and despair, Hecuba, along with other Trojan women, devised a plan for revenge. They lured Polymestor with the promise of gold and, when he arrived, they blinded him and murdered his two sons.
As Odysseus was trying to control Hecuba, she was transformed into a dog, either by the gods or by Apollo, and escaped her enslavement. Hecuba, in her dog form, was later taken in by Hecate as one of her familiars. Dante described this episode in his Inferno, where Hecuba is encountered in the circle of Anger.
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Frequently asked questions
Hecuba, or Hekabe in Greek, was the wife of King Priam of Troy and its queen. She was described as beautiful, with a dark complexion and a wise mind.
Ancient sources vary when it comes to Hecuba's lineage. According to Homer, she was the daughter of King Dymas of Phrygia, but Euripides and Virgil write of her as the daughter of the Thracian king Cisseus.
Hecuba had 19 children, including Hector, Paris, Troilus, Polydorus, Polyxena, Iliona, and the prophetess Cassandra.
No, Hecuba did not marry her brother-in-law.
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