Troilus

Troilus is a Trojan prince from Greek mythology, son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. A prophecy stated that Troy would not fall if Troilus reached the age of 20. However, Achilles ambushed and killed him when he was a boy.1

In medieval retellings, Troilus is depicted as an innocent lover betrayed by Cressida, who leaves him for the Greek hero Diomedes. This narrative was popularized by writers like Benoît de Sainte-Maure, Giovanni Boccaccio, and Geoffrey Chaucer, and later adapted by William Shakespeare in his play Troilus and Cressida. Shakespeare's version cynically explores the causes of the Trojan War, highlighting betrayal, the absence of heroism, and the hollowness of honor.123