PRIAMUS, „Orr-O-mus. z. The last king of Troy, was son of Laomedon (q.v.) and Strymo (or Placia), and originally named PODARCES. ,6o-dar'-ces (swift footed), which was changed into Priamus (ransomed) after being redeemed by his sister Hesio'ne from Hercilles, who had seized Troy. When placed on the throne by Herefiles, he divorced his wife Arisba and married Healba. He assisted the Phrygians against the Amazons. In his old age Troy (see Tr/oi4) was attacked by the united Greeks for the rape of Helen by his second son Paris, Priam having refused to restore Helen to the Greek ambassadors. In the ten years' siege he took little share in the contest ; but on the death of his eldest son Hector (q. v.) he went, under Mercury's guidance, to ransom his body to the tent of Achilles, who paid Priam the atten tion and reverence due to his dignity, years, and misfortunes, restored the corpse, and granted a twelve days' truce for its burial. When Troy fell, Priam put on his armour, but yielded to Hecilba's entreaties, and fled to the altar with his son Polices from Achilles' son Neopteemus (Pyrrhus), against whose buckler he inef fectually hurled his dart. Neoptolemus seized Priam by his grey hairs and stabbed him ; his head was cut off, and his mutilated body was left among the heaps of the slain. Priam had fifty sons, of whom nineteen were by Hecuba, and of them Herenits (q.v.) alone survived the
fall of Troy. For his children, see HECUBA. 2. A son of Polite's and companion of lEneas. PR/APLIS, I. The god of gardens, and of generation m general, was son of Bag chus and Venus, and was born at Lamps'icus, on the Hellespont: whence he is termed Lamfi sii ma and Hel'lesySontiliens. From his de formities he was exposed by his mother, but saved and reared by shepherds ; whence he was also afterwards regarded as the protector of flocks of sheep and goats. His bust was usually placed in gardens, of a form like the and was often painted red; whence his epithet riiber or rfibioadas. He was generally represented with a man's face and goat's ears, and a stick in his hands to terrify birds, or a club to drive away thieves, or a scythe to prune the trees and cut down corn. His worship to a greit extent superseded that of the native garden goddess Horta, in Italy. An ass was sacrificed to him, because that animal, by its braying, awoke the nymph Lotis (or Vesta) when Priapus was going to offer her violence. a. A city of Mysia, on the Proponiis, founded from Afflatus, was the seat of the worship of (I); its territory was Prldfiis or Prictfene.