In Greek mythology, King Priam of Troy was Hector’s father.
Priam ruled Troy during the Trojan War and was married to Hecuba. His many children included Hector, Paris, Cassandra, and Helenus. Although Priam was an elderly king rather than a frontline warrior, his family and court stand at the center of the Trojan story.
Priam’s most famous scene occurs near the end of Homer’s Iliad. Guided by the god Hermes, he enters the Greek camp at night and kneels before Achilles to ask for Hector’s body. Priam reminds Achilles of his own father, Peleus, and the shared grief softens Achilles’ anger.
Priam’s fate belongs to traditions outside the Iliad. During the sack of Troy, later accounts say that Neoptolemus killed him at an altar. Priam should not be confused with Peleus, who was Achilles’ father and the ruler of the Myrmidons.