ASSARACUS IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY
Assaracus in Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Assaracus was a king of Dardania, the kingdom established by Dardanus, and the kingdom that gave rise to the Trojan people.
Assaracus Son of Tros
Assaracus was the second son of Tros, making Assaracus grandson of Erichthonius, and great-grandson of Dardanus; Assaracus’ mother was Callirhoe, the Naiad daughter of Scamander.
Assaracus had one elder brother, Ilus, and a younger brother, Ganymede, as well as two lesser known sisters, Cleomestra and Cleopatra. During Tros’ rule of Dardania, Ganymede was famously abducted by Zeus, to become the cupbearer of the gods.
Assaracus had one elder brother, Ilus, and a younger brother, Ganymede, as well as two lesser known sisters, Cleomestra and Cleopatra. During Tros’ rule of Dardania, Ganymede was famously abducted by Zeus, to become the cupbearer of the gods.
King Assaracus
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As the second son of Tros, Assaracus was not scheduled to become the next king of Dardania, for this would be the inheritance of Ilus. Ilus though, had built a new city away from the mountainous heartland of Dardania, a city named Ilion (Ilium), and when Tros died, Ilus decided to remain in his new city, and instead decreed that Assaracus would become the new king of Dardania, whilst Ilus remained king of Ilion.
The House of Dardanus was now split in to two distinct family lines. |
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The Family Line of Assaracus
The direct family line of Ilus is important in Greek mythology, for after Ilus came King Laomedon, who was then succeeded by King Priam, as ruler of Ilion, or Troy, as the city of Ilus was by then known.
The family line of Assaracus was also important to the ancient Greeks, but was even more important for the Romans.
Assaracus would marry the Naiad Hieromneme, daughter of the Potamoi Simoeis; and Assaracus would become father to a son and heir, Capys. Capys would become father to Anchises, who himself was father of Aeneas, a mythological founder of Rome.
Now it would be assumed that Assaracus would be buried in Dardania, though Quintus Smyrnaeus, in Posthomerica, tells of him being buried in the city of Troy, next to the temple of Athena.
The family line of Assaracus was also important to the ancient Greeks, but was even more important for the Romans.
Assaracus would marry the Naiad Hieromneme, daughter of the Potamoi Simoeis; and Assaracus would become father to a son and heir, Capys. Capys would become father to Anchises, who himself was father of Aeneas, a mythological founder of Rome.
Now it would be assumed that Assaracus would be buried in Dardania, though Quintus Smyrnaeus, in Posthomerica, tells of him being buried in the city of Troy, next to the temple of Athena.
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Colin Quartermain - Assaracus - 8th February 2020