Hecuba (; also Hecabe; grc, Ἑκάβη, Hekábē, ) was a queen in

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...

, the wife of King

Priam In Greek mythology, Priam (; grc-gre, Πρίαμος, ) was the legendary and last king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon. His many children included notable characters such as Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. Etymology ...

Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...

during the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans ( Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and ...

Description

Hecuba was described by the chronicler

Malalas John Malalas ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Malálas''; – 578) was a Byzantine chronicler from Antioch (now Antakya, Turkey). Life Malalas was of Syrian descent, and he was a native speaker of Syriac who learned how to write in Greek later i ...

in his account of the ''Chronography'' as "dark, good eyes, full grown, long nose, beautiful, generous, talkative, calm". Meanwhile, in the account of Dares the Phrygian, she was illustrated as ". . .beautiful, her figure large, her complexion dark. She thought like a man and was pious and just."

Family

Parentage

Ancient sources vary as to the parentage of Hecuba. According to Homer, Hecuba was the daughter of King Dymas of

Phrygia In classical antiquity, Phrygia ( ; grc, Φρυγία, ''Phrygía'' ) was a kingdom in the west central part of Anatolia, in what is now Asian Turkey, centered on the Sangarios River. After its conquest, it became a region of the great empir ...

, but

Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars ...

and

Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: th ...

write of her as the daughter of the

Thracian The Thracians (; grc, Θρᾷκες ''Thrāikes''; la, Thraci) were an Indo-European speaking people who inhabited large parts of Eastern and Southeastern Europe in ancient history.. "The Thracians were an Indo-European people who occupied ...

king

Cisseus In Greek mythology, Cisseus ( Ancient Greek: Κισσεὺς means "wreathe with ivy") may refer to the following personages: * *Cisseus, an Egyptian prince as one of the sons of King Aegyptus. Apollodorus, 2.1.5 His mother was the naiad Caliadne ...

. The mythographers

Pseudo-Apollodorus The ''Bibliotheca'' (Ancient Greek: grc, Βιβλιοθήκη, lit=Library, translit=Bibliothēkē, label=none), also known as the ''Bibliotheca'' of Pseudo-Apollodorus, is a compendium of Greek myths and heroic legends, arranged in three book ...

and

Hyginus Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Grammati ...

leave open the question which of the two was her father, with Pseudo-Apollodorus adding a third alternative option: Hecuba's parents could as well be the river god

Sangarius The Sakarya (Sakara River, tr, Sakarya Irmağı; gr, Σαγγάριος, translit=Sangarios; Latin: ''Sangarius'') is the third longest river in Turkey. It runs through the region known in ancient times as Phrygia. It was considered one o ...

and Metope. Some versions from non-extant works are summarized by a

scholia Scholia (singular scholium or scholion, from grc, σχόλιον, "comment, interpretation") are grammatical, critical, or explanatory comments – original or copied from prior commentaries – which are inserted in the margin of t ...

st on Euripides' '' Hecuba'': according to those, she was a daughter of Dymas or Sangarius by the

Naiad In Greek mythology, the naiads (; grc-gre, ναϊάδες, naïádes) are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. They are distinct from river gods, who ...

Euagora, or by

Glaucippe Glaucippe ( Ancient Greek: Γλαυκίππη), in Greek mythology, is a name that may refer to: *Glaucippe, a Libyan princess as one of the Danaïdes, 50 daughters of King Danaus and the naiad Polyxo. She married (and murdered) Potamon, son of Aeg ...

the daughter of Xanthus (

Scamander Scamander (; also Skamandros ( grc, Σκάμανδρος) or Xanthos () was a river god in Greek mythology. Etymology The meaning of this name is uncertain. The second element looks like it is derived from Greek () meaning 'of a man', but t ...

?); the possibility of her being a daughter of Cisseus is also discussed. A scholiast on Homer relates that Hecuba's parents were either Dymas and the

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

Eunoe or Cisseus and Telecleia; the latter option would make her a full sister of

Theano In Greek mythology, Theano (; Ancient Greek: Θεανώ) may refer to the following personages: *Theano, wife of Metapontus, king of Icaria. Metapontus demanded that she bear him children, or leave the kingdom. She presented the children of Mel ...

, which is also noted by the scholiast on Euripides cited above. According to

Suetonius Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus (), commonly referred to as Suetonius ( ; c. AD 69 – after AD 122), was a Roman historian who wrote during the early Imperial era The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τ� ...

in ''

The Twelve Caesars ''De vita Caesarum'' (Latin; "About the Life of the Caesars"), commonly known as ''The Twelve Caesars'', is a set of twelve biographies of Julius Caesar and the first 11 emperors of the Roman Empire written by Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus. The gr ...

'', the emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

pestered scholars with obscure questions about ancient mythology, with one of his favorites being "Who was Hecuba's mother?"

Offspring

Hecuba had 19 children, some of which included major characters of

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

's ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...

'' such as the warriors Hector and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, as well as the prophetess Cassandra. Two of them, Hector and

Troilus Troilus ( or ; grc, Τρωΐλος, Troïlos; la, Troilus) is a legendary character associated with the story of the Trojan War. The first surviving reference to him is in Homer's ''Iliad,'' composed in the late 8th century BCE. In Greek myth ...

, are said to have been born as a result of Hecuba's relationship with the god

Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label=Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label= ...

. Other named children of Hecuba by Priam are Helenus, Deiphobus, Laodice,

Polyxena In Greek mythology, Polyxena (; Greek: ) was the youngest daughter of King Priam of Troy and his queen, Hecuba. She does not appear in Homer, but in several other classical authors, though the details of her story vary considerably. After the ...

Creusa In Greek mythology, Creusa (; grc, Κρέουσα ''Kreousa'' "princess") may refer to the following figures: * Creusa, a naiad daughter of Gaia. * Creusa, daughter of Erechtheus, King of Athens and his wife, Praxithea. * Creusa, also known ...

, Polydorus,

Polites Polites is the name of two characters in Greek mythology of the Trojan War, and a genus of butterflies. *Polites (friend of Odysseus) is a Greek warrior in the '' Iliad.'' *Polites (prince of Troy) is a Trojan killed by Neoptolemus In Greek my ...

, Antiphus, Pammon, Hipponous and Iliona.

Myths

Hecuba in the ''Iliad''

Hecuba appears six times in the ''Iliad''. In Book 6.326–96, she meets Hector upon his return to the city and offers him the libation cup, instructing him to offer it to Zeus and to drink from it himself. Taking Hector's advice, she chooses a gown taken from Alexander's treasure to give as an offering to the goddess and leads the Trojan women to the temple of

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of v ...

to pray for help. In Book 22, she pleads with Hector not to fight

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pe ...

, expressing her premonition of "never get ingto mourn you laid out on a bier." In Book 24.201–16, she is stricken with anxiety upon hearing of Priam's plan to retrieve Hector's body from Achilles' hut. Further along in the same episode, at 24.287–98, she offers Priam the libation cup and instructs him to pray to Zeus so that he may receive a favourable omen upon setting out towards the Achaean camp. Unlike in the first episode in which Hector refuses her offer of the cup, Priam accepts and is rewarded with the requested omen. Finally, she laments Hector's death in a well-known speech at 24.748–59. Hecuba and Polyxena LACMA 73

Hecuba in other classical works

Stesichorus states that after the sack of Troy, Apollo, Hecuba's former lover, took her to safety and placed her in Lycia. The '' Bibliotheca'' (''Library'') of Pseudo-Apollodorus states that Hecuba had a son named

with the god

. An

oracle An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word ...

prophesied that Troy would not be defeated if Troilus reached the age of 20 alive. Troilus is killed by Achilles. Hecuba is a main character in two plays by

: '' The Trojan Women'' and '' Hecuba''. ''The Trojan Women'' describes the aftermath of the fall of Troy, including Hecuba's enslavement by

Odysseus Odysseus ( ; grc-gre, Ὀδυσσεύς, Ὀδυσεύς, OdysseúsOdyseús, ), also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( , ; lat, UlyssesUlixes), is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the ''Odyssey''. Odys ...

. ''Hecuba'' also takes place just after the fall of Troy. Polydorus, the youngest son of Priam and Hecuba, is sent to King Polymestor for safekeeping, but when Troy falls, Polymestor murders Polydorus. Hecuba learns of this, and when Polymestor comes to the fallen city, Hecuba, by trickery, blinds him and kills his two sons. Another story says that when she was given to

as a slave, she snarled and cursed at him, so the gods turned her into a dog, allowing her to escape. In another tradition, Hecuba went mad upon seeing the corpses of her children Polydorus and

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: ' ...

described this episode, which he derived from Italian sources: '' : ''E quando la fortuna volse in basso'' : ''l'altezza de' Troian che tutto ardiva,'' : ''sì che 'nsieme col regno il re fu casso,'' : ''Ecuba trista, misera e cattiva,'' : ''poscia che vide Polissena morta,'' : ''e del suo Polidoro in su la riva'' : ''del mar si fu la dolorosa accorta,'' : ''forsennata latrò sì come cane...'' : And when fortune overturned the pride : of the Trojans, who dared everything, so that : both the king and his kingdom were destroyed, : Poor wretched captured Hecuba, : after she saw her Polyxena dead : and found her Polydorus on the beach, : was driven mad by sorrow : and began barking like a dog... :—''Inferno'' XXX: 13–20 Another legend has it that Hecuba threw herself into the sea and was transformed into "a she-dog with fiery eyes" and that she was buried in a "wretched" place called Kynosema ('dog's grave'), a "landmark for sailors". The Kynosema is said to be a promontory located in modern day Kilitbahir.

Gallery

File:Antonio Canova - Ecuba (1787-1792) - Plaster - Possagno, Fondazione Canova.jpg, alt=, ''‎Hecuba Offering the Robe to Pallas'' by

Antonio Canova Antonio Canova (; 1 November 1757 – 13 October 1822) was an Italian Neoclassical sculptor, famous for his marble sculptures. Often regarded as the greatest of the Neoclassical artists,. his sculpture was inspired by the Baroque and the cla ...

File:Hecuba filiumum invenit.png, alt=, ''Hecuba finds her son Polydorus'' by

Virgil Solis Virgil Solis or Virgilius Solis (1514 – 1 August 1562), a member of a prolific family of artists, was a German draughtsman and printmaker in engraving, etching and woodcut who worked in his native city of Nuremberg. Biography His prints ...

File:Despair of Hecuba MET DP807920.jpg, alt=, ''Despair of Hecuba'' by Pierre Peyron File:Plate 124- Hecuba and the Trojan Women Murdering Polymestor (Hecuba Polymnestori oculos ervit), from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses' MET DP866529.jpg, alt=, ''Hecuba and the Trojan Women Murdering Polymestor'' by Antonio Tempesta File:Vieira Lusitano - Hecuba a Graecis rapitur.jpg, alt=, ''Hecuba a Graecis'' by

Vieira Lusitano Francisco de Matos Vieira, better known as Vieira Lusitano (4 October 1699 – 13 August 1783) was a Portuguese court painter, illustrator and engraver. Biography His father was a maker of socks and stockings.

File:Michel Martin Drolling, Farewell of Hecuba and Polyxena, 1824 (Musée Crozatier au Puy-en-Velay).JPG, alt=, ''Farewell of Hecuba and Polyxena'' by Michel Martin Drolling (1824) File:Hecuba.jpg, alt=, ''Hecuba Blinds Polymnestor'' by Giuseppe Maria Crespi File:Dream hecuba hi.jpg, alt=, ''Dream of Hecuba'' by Giulio Romano

In popular culture

Hecuba is frequently referenced in classical literature, and in many medieval, Renaissance, and modern works. Among the works which are about Hecuba are: * '' Hecuba'' and '' The Trojan Women'', plays by

* '' The Trojan War Will Not Take Place'', play by

Jean Giraudoux Hippolyte Jean Giraudoux (; 29 October 1882 – 31 January 1944) was a French novelist, essayist, diplomat and playwright. He is considered among the most important French dramatists of the period between World War I and World War II. His ...

* ''

King Priam ''King Priam'' is an opera by Michael Tippett, to his own libretto. The story is based on Homer's ''Iliad'', except the birth and childhood of Paris, which are taken from the ''Fabulae'' of Hyginus. The premiere was on 29 May 1962, at Coventry. ...

'', novel by David Park * ''All For Hecuba'' (1947) an autobiography of

Micheál Mac Liammóir Micheál Mac Liammóir (born Alfred Willmore; 25 October 1899 – 6 March 1978) was an actor, designer, dramatist, writer and impresario in 20th-century Ireland. Though born in London to an English family with no Irish connections, he emigrated ...

* ''Cortege of Eagles'' (1967), ballet by

Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over seventy years. She ...

* ''

Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...

(1967), TV series, Ep.72; to impress brash movie producer Harold Hecuba (

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly sixty years. Silvers achieved major popu ...

), who has crash landed on their island, the castaways perform their own musical parody version of Shakespeare's

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

.'' * '' Passions'' (2000),

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

featuring a character named Hecuba, played by

Robin Strasser Robin Victory in Europe Strasser (born May 7, 1945) is an American actress, best known for her role as Dorian Lord on the ABC daytime soap opera ''One Life to Live''. Life and career Strasser's middle name is a tribute to her being born the da ...

, who is a supernatural antagonist to the town’s resident witch * '' Trojan Barbie'' (2006), play by Christine Evans * '' The House of Hades'' (2013), novel by Rick Riordan * '' Troy: Fall of a City'' (2018) a

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

in which Hecuba is portrayed by

Frances O'Connor Frances Ann O'Connor (born 12 June 1967) is a British–born Australian actress and director. She is known for her roles in the films '' Mansfield Park'' (1999), '' Bedazzled'' (2000), '' A.I. Artificial Intelligence'' (2001), ''The Importance ...

* '' Bluey'' (2020) episode 2, season 2 " Hammerbarn", Hecuba features as Bingo's gnome husband Hecuba is also referenced in other works: * ''

'', play by William

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

. In Act 2, scene 2, the character Hamlet marvels at the skill of an actor he has just watched perform the role of Hecuba with convincing grief as she witnesses Priam's death: "What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, / That he should weep for her?" Hamlet criticizes himself for grieving his father less authentically than the actor does on behalf of the imaginary Hecuba and Priam. * In Fortune Plango Vulnera (I Bemoan The Wounds Of Fortune), from the 13th C Latin and Goliardic poetry collection '' Carmina Burana'', which was set to music in the movement Fate Imperatrix Mundi of '' Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantandae comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis'' by Carl Orff, Hecuba is mentioned as an exemplar of those thrown down by fate and a warning: "Nam sub axe legimus, Hecubam reginam." (For beneath the axle is written, queen Hecuba) • In Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country, she describes Mrs. Spragg as “gaz ngfter ndine and Mr. Spraggwith the pale stare of Hecuba.”

Notes

References

Primary sources

, ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...

'' III.19–68 *

, ''Iliad'' XIV.717–718 *

Solinus Solinus may refer to: * Gaius Julius Solinus, a 3rd century Latin author * Solinus (horse), a British racehorse (1975–1979) * Solinus, Duke of Ephesus, a character in William Shakespeare's play ''The Comedy of Errors'' See also * Salinas (disam ...

, '' De vita Caesarum'' X.22 *

Lactantius Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius (c. 250 – c. 325) was an early Christian author who became an advisor to Roman emperor, Constantine I, guiding his Christian religious policy in its initial stages of emergence, and a tutor to his son Cri ...

, ''Divinae institutions'' I.22 * Pomponius Mela, ''De chorographia'' II.26 *

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...

, ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his '' magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the ...

'' XIII.423–450, 481–571 *

, '' Trojan Women'' *

, ''Hecuba''

Secondary sources

* Tsotakou-Karveli. ''Lexicon of Greek Mythology''. Athens: Sokoli, 1990.

External links

* {{Authority control Queens in Greek mythology Princesses in Greek mythology Children of Potamoi Women of Apollo Women of the Trojan war Trojans Metamorphoses into animals in Greek mythology Metamorphoses characters Priam Mythological dogs Suicides in Greek mythology