In Greek mythology, Tros (Ancient Greek: Τρώς, ) was the founder of the kingdom of Troy, of which the city of Ilios, founded by his son Ilus took the same name, and the son of Erichthonius by Astyoche (daughter of the river god Simoeis) or of Ilus I, from whom he inherited the throne. Tros was the father of three sons: Ilus, Assaracus and Ganymede and two daughters, Cleopatra and Cleomestra. He is the eponym of Troy, also named Ilion for his son Ilus. Tros's wife was said to be Callirrhoe, daughter of the river god Scamander, or Acallaris, daughter of Eumedes. Another Tros was a Trojan warrior. According to Homer's Iliad, he is the son of the Lycian Alastor and he was slain by Achilles.

Genealogy

Homer's account

The following excerpts from Homer's Iliad recounts Tros' ancestors and descendants:

Apollodorus' account

The ancient author Apollodorus in his book, Bibliotheca, also gives Tros' lineage:

Dionysius of Halicarnassus

Another writer, named Dionysius of Halicarnassus, wrote a passage about Tros' ancestry that gives us back to Dardanus proving that the Trojan race was indeed of Greek origin.

Mythology

When Zeus abducted Ganymedes, Tros grieved for his son. Sympathetic, Zeus sent Hermes with two horses so swift they could run over water. Hermes also assured Tros that Ganymede was immortal and would be the cupbearer of the gods, a position of great distinction. In Homer's Iliad, Book V, 265 the described the horses given by Zeus to Tros as a compensation for his abduction of the youth: In variant versions, Ganymede is son of Laomedon son of Ilus son of Tros; however, others call him son of Ilus, Erichthonius or Assaracus. It was from Tros that the Dardanians were called Trojans and the land named the Troad.

Family tree