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The Iliad: The Sons of Priam Trivia Quiz

In "The Iliad, Book III", it states that King Priam's palace has fifty bedchambers for his sons. In the book, fewer than fifty appear, but many do, some famous, some obscure. Here is their story.

A multiple-choice quiz by keithkomodo. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
keithkomodo

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
305,009

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
373

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Question 1 of 10

1. This son of Priam was the prime soothsayer of the Trojans. Hint

Idaeus

Helenus

Dolan

Diomed

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Question 2 of 10

2. This son of Priam, whose birth name was Alexander, was the cause of the Trojan War. Hint

Homer

Hecuba

Paris

Hector

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Question 3 of 10

3. This son was the father of Scamandrius, and known as the tamer of horses. Hint

Xanthus

Andromache

Hector

Eetion

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Question 4 of 10

4. Among the sons of Priam, how does Polydorus rate? Hint

The fastest

The most loved son of Priam

The youngest

All of these

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Question 5 of 10

5. This son of Priam met Achilles on the battlefield, then was slain by him as he held onto the destroyer's knees and begged for his life. Hint

Hector

Aeneas

Paris

Lyacaon

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Question 6 of 10

6. In order to trick Hector into facing Achilles alone, the goddess Athena appeared as which of his brothers? Hint

Deiphobus

Sarpedon

Antenor

Glaucus

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Question 7 of 10

7. With his dying breath, Hector said what to Achilles? Hint

That Paris and Phoebus Apollo would slay him

Pride goeth before the fall

That Ares and Paris would slay him

That he would see him in Hades

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Question 8 of 10

8. In "The Iliad", it was stated that Priam's palace held fifty bedchambers for his sons. How many rooms did the palace also hold for his son-in-laws to sleep with his daughters? Hint

fifty

one hundred

one

twelve

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Question 9 of 10

9. Of these different pairs of Priam's sons, which were not slain in "The Iliad"? Hint

Echemmonand and Chromius

Dios and Anthiphones

Isus and Antiphus

Gorgythran and Cebrianes

10. In the final chapter of "The Iliad", just prior to leaving the city in order to ransom Hector's body from Achilles, King Priam gathered his remaining sons, and berated them. Which son was not among the gathered survivors? Hint

Troilus, the dauntless chairoteer

Pammon

noble Agathon

Polites, of the loud battle cry

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This son of Priam was the prime soothsayer of the Trojans.

Answer: Helenus

Helenus had a significant role in Book VI, when he persuaded Hector and Aeneas to rally the Trojan troops in battle. Idaeus was an unrelated Trojan herald, known for his booming voice; Dolan was a scout/spy working for Hector; and Diomed was a Greek hero warrior.

2. This son of Priam, whose birth name was Alexander, was the cause of the Trojan War.

Answer: Paris

Paris, born Alexander, who was deemed at birth to be the downfall of Troy, was left for dead in the mountains. He survived, the rest was history.

3. This son was the father of Scamandrius, and known as the tamer of horses.

Answer: Hector

The last line of "The Iliad" names Hector as the tamer of horses, something I never would think of him as. Hector did name his son Scamandrius, but the Trojan citizens called the child Astyanux, which meant "king of the city." Andromache was Hector's wife; Eetion his father-in-law; Xanthus a minor river god.

In stories written after "The Iliad", it was said that Astyanux was thrown off the walls of Troy to his death.

4. Among the sons of Priam, how does Polydorus rate?

Answer: All of these

Polydorus was the fastest, youngest, and most loved of King Priam's sons. Achilles did slay him in Book XX. Hector than attacked Achilles. Athena deflected Hector's spear shot; Apollo then swerved Hector three times away from Achilles' spear thrusts. Thus ended the first battle among champions.

5. This son of Priam met Achilles on the battlefield, then was slain by him as he held onto the destroyer's knees and begged for his life.

Answer: Lyacaon

It was Lyacaon that died a coward. Hector bravely faced Achilles, before succumbing to him. Paris actually killed Achilles outside of the story of The Iliad". Aeneus survived the war, and legend has it his descendants founded Rome.

6. In order to trick Hector into facing Achilles alone, the goddess Athena appeared as which of his brothers?

Answer: Deiphobus

Antenor was an aged adviser to King Priam; Sarpedon and Glaucus were non-family related allies of Troy. Deiphobus was, in other stories, a dirty, cruel, and mean man who ended up married to Helen after Paris died, and was then stabbed by her in the back while he dueled with Menealeus and Odysseus at the fall of Troy.

7. With his dying breath, Hector said what to Achilles?

Answer: That Paris and Phoebus Apollo would slay him

Hector did foresee Achilles' death, at the hands of Paris and Apollo before the Scaean Gates of Troy. Legend has it that Paris shot an arrow into Achilles' heel, the only part of him unprotected when his mother dipped him, shortly after his birth, into the River Styx.

8. In "The Iliad", it was stated that Priam's palace held fifty bedchambers for his sons. How many rooms did the palace also hold for his son-in-laws to sleep with his daughters?

Answer: twelve

In "The Iliad", it states that there are twelve such rooms. In some stories, he also has fifty daughters.

9. Of these different pairs of Priam's sons, which were not slain in "The Iliad"?

Answer: Dios and Anthiphones

The last chapter of "The Iliad" identifies Dius and Anthiphones as surviving sons of Priam. Echemmonand and Chromius were slain by Diomed in Book V. Aggamemnon killed Isus and Antiphus in Book XI. It was not safe to be a charioteer of Hector, as his brothers (Gorgthran, killed by an arrow from Ajax the Lessor, and Cebrianes, slain by Patroclus throwing a jagged rock), found out the hard way.

Answer: Troilus, the dauntless chairoteer

Priam lamented the death of Troilus, as well as Hector. Within the pages of "The Iliad", he suffered the deaths of over twenty sons by name. Agathon, Pammon and Polites were all listed as being there at the end.

Source: Author keithkomodo

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