1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Ancient / Classical History

Polyxena

By N.S. Gill, About.com

Definition: Polyxena was the youngest daughter of Hecuba and King Priam of Troy. Homer never mentions Polyxena. Achilles fell in love with Polyxena whom he may have met when Polyxena and her brother Troilus went out to the fountatin where Achilles slew Troilus. One story has Polyxena pretending to fall in love with Achilles, learning about his heel, and betraying him to her brother Paris, who then shot and killed Achilles. Before he died, Achilles asked his followers to sacrifice Polyxena to him. Neoptolemus stabbed Polyxena to death.

Helen of Troy
Achilles
Aegisthus
Aerope
Agamemnon
Andromache
Aulis
Briseis
Calchas
Cassandra
Clytemnestra
Diomedes
Dioscuri - Castor and Pollux
Hecuba
Iphigenia
Menelaus
Odysseus
Orestes
Paris
Polyxena
Telephus

Explore Ancient / Classical History

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Education
  3. Ancient / Classical History
  4. Studying Ancient History
  5. Glossary - Terms to Know
  6. N-R Terms
  7. P Terms
  8. PM-PR
  9. Polyxena

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.