Question on Homer's Iliad.

[dean]

Hello,Just curious- does anyone know why the character Paris was also known as Alexander? I mean, was it common for people to have 2 first names or to be known by two names? I just thought it odd. In my edition of the Iliad- it mentions in the list of characters Paris or Alexander.Just curious.
(I don't imagine there will be a lot of people out there who know the answer to this one)Best regards,
Dean.

[ancientlibrary]

There are a lot of double names in mythology generally, although the Oxford Classical Dictionary (2, 3 not handy) writes "The double name is very unusual in epic" citing Nilsson's _Geschichte der Grieschisschen Religion_, if you have that (and German) handy. You can think of a couple reasons for double names. Sometimes, two distinct myths blend together without completely submerging one, eg., Dido and Elissa. Other times an epithet is used so much that it becomes a name. In this case, I don't know. It might be significant that Paris doesn't (to my knowledge) have a Greek etymology, whereas Alexander certainly does. Perhaps Paris is a pre-Greek or foreign hero either melded with a Greek one or called "Alexandros" (man-protector) until it became a name.If I'm not mistaken, Alexander is much the more common name for the individual in Greek literature, Paris in Latin. But it's not a simple Greek vs. Latin language issue like Hera/Juno since Paris is most certainly used in Greek lit. from very early on.

[lucian]

I don't want to think that the writers of that TBS (was it?) version of Helen of Troy were right, but if they did base the history of Paris/Alexandros correctly, it would make sense.
Does anyone know of any story where Alexandros was given up by king Priam, because of a prophecy that he would destroy Troy, and then found by a shepherd and raised as Paris? When I watched that, I thought that was interesting, but I have never heard of anything like that.

[ruthaki]

I've heard that theory too..that "Paris/Alexandros" was put out to be 'exposed' as they did often in those ancient times with unwanted children, and was found by a shepherd. But I am not sure where I read the theory. Was it in M. Zimmer Bradley's book (the title escapes me..."Firebrand or something... which I tried to read twice but couldn't manage even a third of??)

[marcus]

Hi Ruth,The MZB book was "The Firebrand". I never managed to finish it.But the prophesy about Paris causing Troy's destruction was certainly known. When he reappeared in Troy some of his brothers wanted to exile him again (or kill him?) but Priam and Hector overruled them - blood is thicker than water, etc.I hadn't realised that this was a reason for the two names - but it certainly makes sense.All the bestMarcus

[smittysmitty]

Hi,Apollodorus' Library [III.12]...'Hecuba had a dream in which she gave birth to a firebrand and the fire spread through the whole city and burned it down. When Priam learned of the dream from Hecuba, he sent for his son Aisacos, who could interpret dreams because he had been taught the art by his maternal grandfather Merops. Aisacos said that the birth of the child meant the ruin of his country, and advised that the baby should be exposed. So when the baby was born, Priam gave it to a servant (Agelaos by name) to be taken to Mount Ida for exposure; and after it had been exposed by him, the baby was suckled for five days by a bear. When Agelaos found the child still alive, he picked him up and took him home to rear in the country as his own son, naming him Paris. When he grew up to be a young man, Paris, who was superior to many in beauty and strength, acquired the further name of Alexander, for warding off robbers and protecting the flocks. And not long afterwards he rediscovered his parents.'
I'm pretty sure there's similar mention of such story in either of Euripides' or Aeschine's play's, but couldn't tell you off hand which one.
Cheers!

[dean]

Hello,Thankyou very much for answering my question, of course my reading up on Paris/Alexandros is pretty much limited to the Iliad in which nothing is to be found of his birth etc so I never knew about this story.Cheers!!!
Dean.

[lucian]

Wow, who would have thought that that program would be right about that?

[beausefaless]

The film was shown on USA Network; Not Paris, but Cassandra was the reason Troy fell. There were numorus translation of Homers Iliad.
Gods and Goddesses
Aphrodite [Venus]:
Daughter of ZEUS and Dione; favors the Trojans.
Apollo:
Son of ZEUS and Leto; favors the Trojans.
Ares [Mars]:
Son of ZEUS; favors the Trojans.
Artemis [Diana]:
Daughter of ZEUS and Leto, favors the Trojans.
Athena [Minerva]:
Daughter of ZEUS; favors Greeks.
Hades:
Son of Cronus; ruler of the underworld of the dead.
Hephaestus [Vulcan]:
Son of ZEUS and Hera; favors the Greeks.
Hera [Juno]:
Daughter of Cronus and wife of ZEUS; queen of the Gods; favors the Greeks.
Hermes [Mercury]:
Sone of ZEUS; favors the Trojans.
Iris:
Messenger of the gods.
Paeeon:
Physician to the gods.
Poseidon [Neptune]:
Son of Cronus; king of the sea; favors the Greeks.
Thetis:
A sea nymph, wedded to a mortal, Peleus; mother of Achilles.
ZEUS [Jupiter, Jove]:
Son of Cronus [Saturn]; king of the gods and ruler of the sky; arbiter of human destiny.
God of the river Scamander:
Also called Xanthus; favor the Trojans.
Greeks [Greeks are also called Achaeans, Danaans, or Argives]
Achilles:
Son of Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis; grandson of Aeacus, son of ZEUS; chief of the Myrmidons from Phthia and Hellas.
Agamemnon:
Son of Atreus; king of Argos and Mycenae; leader of the host.
Ajax:
Son of Telamon; ruler of Salamis.
Ajax:
Son of Oileus; ruler of Locris.
Antilochus:
Son of Nestor.
Ascalaphus:
Leader of Miniae; son of Ares.
Calchas:
Son of Thestor; seer and interpreter of omens.
Diomed:
Son of Tydeus and grandson of Oeneus; king of Middle Argos, Tiryns, and Aegina.
Eurybates:
Greek herald.
Helen:
Wife of Menelaus, seduced by Paris.
Idomeneus:
Son of Deucalion and grandson of Minos, king of Crete.
Machaon:
Son of the healer Asclepius; physician to the Greeks.
Menelaus:
Son of Atreus; husband of Helen; king of Sparta, also called Lacedaemon.
Meriones:
Son of Molus, comrade and squire of Idomeneus.
Nestor:
Son of Neleus; aged king of Pylus and Dorium; father of Antilochus and Thrasymedes.
Odysseus:
Son of Laertes and husband of Penelope; king of Ithaca and leader of Cephallenians.
Patroclus:
Son of Menoetius; comrade and squire of Achilles.
Phoenix:
Son of Amyntor; foster son of AchillesGÇÖ father and old friend of Achilles; ruler of the Dolopians in Phthia.
Sthenelus:
Son of C

[beausefaless]

Sthenelus:
Son of Capaneus; comrade of Diomed.
Talthybius:
Greek herald.
Teucer:
Illegitimate son of Telamon, half brother of the first Ajax; a bowman.
Thersites:
Ugliest of the Greek soldiers; an endless talker.
Tlepolemus:
Son of Heracles; from Rhodes.
Trojans
Acamas:
Son of Antenor.
Aeneas:
Son of Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite; leader of the Dardanians.
Andromache:
Daughter of Aetion, king of Cilicia; wife of Hector and mother of his little son Astyanax.
Antenor:
Aged councilor to Priam and the Trojans.
Archelochus:
Son of Antenor.
Cassandra:
Daughter of Priam and Hecuba; a prophet.
Deiphobus:
Son of Priam.
Dolon:
Son of Eumedes; scout for the Trojans.
Glaucus:
Son of Hippolochus and grandson of Bellerophon; comrade and squire of Sarpedon.
Hector:
Son of Priam; commander of the Trojan army.
Hecuba:
Wife of Priam; queen of Troy.
Helenus:
Son of Priam; soothsayer for the Trojans.
Idaeus:
Trojan herald.
Laodice:
Daughter of Priam and Hecuba; wife of Helicaon, son of Antenor.
Laodocus:
Son of Antenor.
Lycaon:
Son of Priam.
Pandarus:
Son of Lycaon; chief of Telea, near Mount Ida.
Paris:
Also called Alexander, son of Priam; seducer of Helen.
Polydamas:
Son of Panthous; Trojan warrior and councilor.
Priam:
Son of Laomedon and descendant of Tros, the founder of Troy, and of Dardanus, son of ZEUS; king of Troy.
Rhesus:
Son of Eoneus; king of Thrace.
Sarpedon:
Son of ZEUS and Laodamia, grandson of Bellerophon; leader of the Lycians.
Theano:
Daughter of Cisseus and wife of Antenor; priestess of Anthene.