See
List of King Priam's children
'Helenus' was a Trojan soldier and prophet in the
Trojan War.
In
Greek mythology, 'Helenus' was the son of King
Priam and Queen
Hecuba of
Troy, and the twin brother of the prophetess
Cassandra. He was also called
Scamandrios. According to legend, Cassandra, having been given the power of prophecy by
Apollo, taught it to her brother. Like Cassandra, he was always right, but unlike her, others believed him.
During the Trojan War, Helenus vied against his brother
Deiphobus for the hand of
Helen of Troy after the death of their brother
Paris, but Helen was awarded to Deiphobus. Disgruntled over his loss, Helenus retreated to
Mount Ida, where
Odysseus later captured him. He told the Greek forces -- probably out of his disgruntlement -- under what circumstances they could take Troy. He said that they would win if they stole the Trojan
Palladium, brought the bones of
Pelops to Troy, and persuaded
Neoptolemus (
Achilles' son by the
Scyrian princess
Deidamia) and
Philoctetes (who possessed
Heracles' bow and arrows) to join the Greeks in the war. Neoptolemus was hiding from the war at Scyrus, but the Greeks retrieved him. Alternatively, he told them that they would win if
Troilus, Helenus' brother, were killed before he turned twenty. Achilles's son
Neoptolemus ambushed Troilus and his sister,
Polyxena.
Neoptolemus had taken Helenus' sister-in-law,
Andromache, as a slave and concubine after
Hector's death, and fathered
Molossus,
Pielus and
Pergamus on her. After the fall of Troy, Helenus became a sort of vassal to Neoptolemus. He traveled with Neoptolemus, Andromache and their children to
Epirus, where Neoptolemus permitted him to found the city of
Buthrotum. After Neoptolemus left Epirus, he left Andromache and their sons in Helenus' care. Andromache bore him a son,
Cestrinus, who is identified with Genger or Zenter, a legendary Trojan king and father of
Franco.
Some mythographers alleged that Helenus married Neoptolemus' mother, Deidamia, instead of Andromache.
Helenus prophesied
Aeneas' founding of
Rome when he and his followers stopped at Buthrotum.
References
★ Aenid
★ Iliad