Polites was born to Priam, the king of
Troy, and his wife
Hecuba. During his youth, Polites witnessed the
Trojan War and was a supporting character in the
Iliad. In that work, he is described as a fast runner, who served as a scout. In the
Iliad, Polites rescues his brother
Deiphobus, who is injured, during the Trojan War. During the episode of the
Trojan Horse in the Trojan War, Polites was one of those who accepted the gift. During the fall of Troy and the attempted escape to
Latium,
Neoptolemus shot an arrow in Polites' leg. Polites fell, escaping Neoptolemus, who pursued Polites to his father's palace. Priam called on the gods to punish Neoptolemus, but in that scene, Priam was also killed by Neoptolemus. The Roman author
Cato writes that Polites was the founder of a city,
Politorium. In the Aeneid, he fathered a son called Priam. This boy escaped Troy and was present at
Anchises' funeral games. There are no certain representations of Polites in
ancient Greek art. Some scholars have interpreted certain works of art as representing Polites, including a
volute krater dating to around 570–560 BC. == Namesake ==