Ανδρομαχη
The daughter of Eetion, king of Thebes in Mysia, whose town was sacked by Achilles before the beginning of the ninth year of the Trojan War. Andromache, the wife of Hector and daughter-in-law of Priam, lost her father and seven brothers, all killed by Achilles during the Greek raid on the town where she was born. By Hector she had an only son, Astyanax. After the death of her husband and the sack of Troy Andromache fell, as part of his share of the Trojan booty, to Neoptolemus, Achilles' son. Neoptolemus, having killed Astyanax, according to some accounts, but not having done so according to others, brought Andromache to Epirus, of which he was king. There Andromache bore him three sons, Molossus, Piclus and Pergamus. When Neoptolemus was killed at Delphi, whither he had gone to consult the oracle, he bequeathed his kingdom and his wife to Helenus, brother of Hector (see Molossus, which follows the story as told by Euripides).
During Aeneas' travels in Epirus Andromache reigned peacefully with Helenus. On the latter's death she was said to have gone with her son Pergamus as far as Mysia, where he founded a town bearing the name, Pergamum. Tradition has it that Andromache was a tall, dark woman with a dominating character.
{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}
Table of Sources:
- Hom. Il. 6, 394ff.; 22, 437ff.; etc.
- Euripides, Troades
- Hyg. Fab. 123
- Virgil, Aen. 3, 297 with Serv. ad loc.
- Euripides, Androm.
- Seneca, Troades
- Paus. 1, 11, 1f; 10, 25, 9f