14. The legendary King of Troy during the Trojan War, Priam is believed to have been a rebellious Hittite who overthrew the previous ruler and claimed the lost city for his own
Appearing in Homer’s Iliad, Priam reigns as the ruler of the city of Troy at the time of the Trojan War. A minor, but nevertheless important character in the story, Priam notably pleads with Achilles for the return of his fallen son’s body after Hector is slain in battle. Killed himself during the Sack of Troy, whereupon the Greeks disguised in a wooden horse breach the walls of the impregnable city, Priam is butchered upon the altar of Zeus in defiance of the gods. Fathering supposedly as many as fifty sons, although initially regarded as a fictional creation, with the increased support for the historical existence of Troy itself, belief in Priam has equally grown.
Supported by the Manapa-Tarhunta letter – written by an eponymous client king to an unnamed Hittite king in around 1295 BCE – the ancient text has offered archaeologists and historians vital information concerning the possible location of the destroyed city. Of particular interest, the letter references a rebellious lord named Piyaramadu – not dissimilar to Priam – who had seized the settlement at Wilusa, a location considered one of the most likely locations of Troy, and claimed it for his own. Adding further credence to the similar name, the letter mentions the new ruler has a son – Alaksandu – which is suggestively similar to one of the names of a son of Priam in the Iliad.