Alexander (son of Priam)

Also known as: Alexander · Family: Greek · Role: son of Priam · First appears: Book 1 · §1–8

In Book 1, Alexander, son of Priam, desired a wife “by violence” and carried off Helen. In Book 2, he sailed from Sparta with her, but winds drove them to Egypt. At the temple of Heracles, his attendants sought sanctuary and accused him of carrying off Helen and wronging Menelaos; Proteus ordered him brought before him.

Thonis seized Alexander, detained his ships, and brought him, Helen, and his wealth to Memphis. Proteus kept Helen and the wealth for Menelaos and ordered Alexander and his fellow-voyagers to leave Egypt. After the Teucrians said Helen and the stolen wealth were in Egypt, the Hellenes besieged Ilion and took the city. Alexander’s brother Hector was said to be more fit than him to receive Priam’s place, and was bound not to let Alexander continue his wrongdoing.

Relationship record

Life events

• Alexander carried Helen off from Sparta.(Book 2 · §108–114 · 📍 Sparta)
  • With: Helen
  • “Alexander having carried off Helen was sailing away from Sparta to his own land,”
• Alexander arrived in Egypt with Helen and much wealth after winds drove him off course.(Book 2 · §108–114 · 📍 Egypt)
  • With: Helen
  • “and after that, since the blasts did not cease to blow, he came to Egypt itself, and in Egypt to that which is now named the Canobic mouth of the Nile and to Taricheiai.”
• Alexander's attendants sought sanctuary and accused him of carrying off Helen and wronging Menelaos.(Book 2 · §108–114 · 📍 the temple of Heracles)
  • With: Menelaos
  • “Accordingly the attendants of Alexander, having heard of the custom which existed about the temple, ran away from him, and sitting down as suppliants of the god, accused Alexander, because they desired to do him hurt, telling the whole tale how things were about Helen and about the wrong done to Menelaos;”
• Proteus ordered Alexander to be seized and brought before him.(Book 2 · §108–114 · 📍 Memphis)
  • With: Proteus
  • “Seize this man, whosoever he may be, who has done impiety to his own host, and bring him away into my presence, that I may know what he will find to say.”
• Thonis seized Alexander, detained his ships, and brought him, Helen, and his wealth to Memphis.(Book 2 · §115–120 · 📍 Memphis)
  • With: Thonis Helen
  • “Thonis seized Alexander and detained his ships, and after that he brought the man himself up to Memphis and with him Helen and the wealth he had”
• Proteus ordered Alexander and his fellow-voyagers to leave, while keeping Helen and Alexander’s wealth for Menelaos.(Book 2 · §115–120)
  • With: Proteus Helen
  • “This woman indeed and the wealth which thou hast I will not allow thee to carry away, but I shall keep them safe for the Hellene who was thy host, until he come himself and desire to carry them off to his home; to thyself however and thy fellow-voyagers I proclaim that ye depart from your anchoring within three days and go from my land to some other”
• The Hellenes besieged Ilion and took the city after the Teucrians said Helen and the stolen wealth were in Egypt.(Book 2 · §115–120 · 📍 Ilion)
  • With: Menelaos Helen
  • “The Hellenes however thought that they were being mocked by them and besieged the city, until at last they took it”

Book 1 · §1–8

• parent: Priam “Alexander the son of Priam, having heard of these things, desired to get a wife for himself by violence”
• with Helen (Alexander abducted Helen.) “So he carried off Helen, and the Hellenes resolved to send messengers first and to demand her back with satisfaction for the rape”

Book 2 · §108–114

• with Helen (interaction) “Alexander having carried off Helen was sailing away from Sparta to his own land”
• with Menelaos (interaction) “accused Alexander, because they desired to do him hurt, telling the whole tale how things were about Helen and about the wrong done to Menelaos”

Book 2 · §115–120

• siblings with Hector “but Hector, who was both older and more of a man than he, would have received it after the death of Priam; and him it behoved not to allow his brother to go on with his wrong-doing,”
• with Helen (Alexander took Helen away with him.) “For thou didst go in to the wife of thine own host; and even this was not enough for thee, but thou didst stir her up with desire and hast gone away with her like a thief.”
• with Thonis (Thonis seized and detained Alexander.) “Hearing this, Thonis seized Alexander and detained his ships, and”
• with Proteus (Proteus ordered Alexander to depart.) “Now therefore depart, seeing that I have counted it of great moment not to be a slayer of strangers.”
• with Menelaos (Menelaos was Alexander's host, and Alexander wronged him.) “For thou didst go in to the wife of thine own host; and even this was not enough for thee, but thou didst stir her up with desire and hast gone away with her like a thief.”
• parent: Priam (Alexander is identified as Priam's son in the following passage.) “and of the sons of Priam himself always two or three or even more were slain when a battle took place”

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Extracted from the original text of The Histories. Made with Rho MD.