Ilus (son of Tros)
Ilus (
Ilos in Greek) is in
Greek mythology the founder of the city called ''Ilion'' (
latinized as ''Ilium'') to which he gave his name. When the latter became the chief city of the Trojan people it was also often called ''
Troy'', the name by which it is best known today.
Ilus was son and heir to King
Tros of
Dardania. He won the wrestling prize at games held by the King of Phrygia and received fifty youths and maidens as his reward. The king also, on the advice of an oracle, gave him a cow and asked him to found a city where it should lie down. Ilus did so.
Ilus then prayed to
Zeus for a sign and at once saw the
Palladium fallen from heaven and lying before his tent but was immediately blinded for the impiety of looking on the image. He regained his sight after making offerings to
Athena.
Ilus preferred his new city of Ilium to Dardania and on his father's death he remained there, bestowing the rule of Dardania on his brother
Assaracus instead and so the Trojans were split into two kingdoms.
Ilus was father of
Laomedon who succeeded him. His wife was said to be either
Eurydice (daughter of
Adrastus), or
Leucippe Other children of Ilus include two daughters,
Themiste (or
Themis) and
Telecleia, who married
Capys and
Cisseus, respectively.
Ilus (son of Mermerus)
Another Ilus from Greek mythology was a son of
Mermerus, and grandson of
Jason and
Medeia. This Ilus lived at
Ephyra, between
Elis and
Olympia. In a tale recounted in ''
The Odyssey'', he played host to
Odysseus, but when Odysseus requested from Ilus poison for his arrows, he declined, from fear of divine vengeance.