Helenus of Troy facts for kids
In Greek mythology, Helenus (/ˈhɛlənəs/) was a gentle and clever seer. A seer is someone who can see the future. He was a Trojan prince, the son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. He was also the twin brother of the prophetess Cassandra.
Contents
Mythology
How Helenus Gained His Powers
In some old stories, Helenus and his sister Cassandra received the power to see the future from the god Apollo. This happened after snakes licked their ears. In other tales, Helenus learned his gift from Cassandra. But unlike Cassandra, people usually believed Helenus's predictions.
Helenus made a very important prediction early on. He warned that if Paris (also called Alexander) brought a Greek wife home, the Greeks would attack Troy. He said they would defeat Troy and kill his parents and brothers.
Helenus's Role in the Trojan War
The famous poet Homer described Helenus as the greatest of all seers. During the Trojan War, Helenus gave advice to his brother Hector. He told Hector to challenge a Greek hero to a duel. Telemonian Ajax accepted this challenge.
Helenus helped lead the Trojan army. He was part of the forces that pushed the Greeks back from the plains of Troy. He was even wounded in the hand by Menelaus and had to leave the battle.
In the last year of the war, Helenus wanted to marry Helen after their brother Paris died. But Helen was given to his brother Deiphobus instead. Helenus was upset and went to Mount Ida. There, the clever Greek hero Odysseus captured him.
Helenus then told Odysseus how the Greeks could finally win the war. He said they needed to:
- Steal the Trojan Palladium, a sacred statue.
- Bring the bones of Pelops to Troy.
- Convince Neoptolemus (the son of Achilles) and Philoctetes to join the Greeks. Philoctetes had the powerful bow and arrows of Heracles.
The Greeks followed his advice. They found Neoptolemus and brought him to the war.
After the War
After Troy was defeated, Neoptolemus took Andromache, Helenus's sister-in-law and Hector's widow, as a companion. She had children with Neoptolemus. Helenus went with Neoptolemus and Andromache to a place called Epirus. There, Neoptolemus allowed Helenus to start a new city called Buthrotum.
Later, Neoptolemus left Epirus. He put Andromache and his sons in Helenus's care. Neoptolemus was later killed in a disagreement over Hermione, the daughter of Menelaus and Helen.
When Neoptolemus's kingdom was divided, Helenus became the king of Buthrotum. He ruled over these Greek cities in Epirus. Andromache and Helenus later had a son named Cestrinus.
Helenus also made another famous prophecy. When the Trojan hero Aeneas and his followers visited Buthrotum, Helenus predicted that Aeneas would found the great city of Rome. This story is told in Virgil's famous poem, Aeneid.
Other Stories About Helenus
In one version of the myth, after Troy was captured, the Greek leader Agamemnon freed Helenus and Cassandra. This was because they had always tried to make peace with the Greeks. Helenus also helped get Achilles' body back for burial.
Helenus then asked Agamemnon to free his mother Hecuba and Andromache. Agamemnon agreed. These four then moved to a new land with many followers.
In a medieval story by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Helenus was captured by Neoptolemus. He was taken to Greece as a prisoner. He and his descendants remained enslaved for many generations. They were finally freed by a hero named Brutus of Troy.
See also
In Spanish: Héleno para niños
- List of children of Priam
- The Golden Bough (mythology)
