Cassandra in Greek Mythology: The Cursed Princess of Troy

Who was Cassandra?
Cassandra was a princess of Troy and priestess of Apollo. Her beauty caught the eye of Apollo, who granted her the gift of foresight. However, when she rejected his romantic advances, he cursed her so that her prophecies would never be believed.

What is Cassandra known for?
Cassandra is known as a tragic figure who could see the future, but due to Apollo’s curse, could not prevent any of the tragedies she foresaw. In the Trojan War, she warned of the dangers of the Trojan Horse, but was ignored, and Troy was destroyed.

Where is Cassandra from?
Cassandra is from the city of Troy, an ancient city that was once located in modern-day Turkey.

When was Cassandra killed?
Cassandra was killed after the Trojan War when she was taken as a concubine by the victorious Greek King Agamemnon. She warned Agamemnon that they would be murdered if they returned to Greece, but due to the curse, he did not believe her.

Why was Cassandra cursed?
Apollo cursed Cassandra because she did not return his love after he gifted her the ability to see the future.

How did Cassandra die?
Cassandra was murdered along with King Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, Agamemnon’s wife. Even though Cassandra was Agamemnon’s slave and concubine, she still unsuccessfully warned him of their impending deaths should they return to Greece.

Cassandra’s Origins

Cassandra was the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy, who would be the last king and queen of Troy. Troy was a real city that existed in what is now Turkey and was rediscovered in 1870.[1]

Priam was the only surviving son of Laomedon, who angered the gods by not paying them for building the wall around Troy. As a result of this slight, and another feud with the gods, Laomedon and all his family were killed, save Priam.

Perhaps because of this loss, Priam had a rather large family of his own. Cassandra was one of many siblings—by some accounts more than 100.

Included among her brothers were Paris, who ran off with (or abducted, depending on who you ask) Helen, which started the Trojan War, and Hector, who was the greatest Trojan warrior in that war, before being killed by Achilles.

Cassandra the Prophet: Abilities and Powers

Cassandra was a mortal, but thanks to her bewitching beauty, she was given the divine gift of prophecy by the god Apollo. Her powers never left her, but they were far more a curse than a blessing.

Her Beauty and the Gift of Prophecy

Cassandra was said to be the most beautiful of all of Priam’s daughters, which is not insignificant because Priam reportedly had more than fifty daughters. Cassandra’s beauty attracted a number of suitors, but she steadfastly rejected them all.

That is, until Apollo came calling.

Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto. He was the god of light, poetry, music, and more. What mortal could resist such charms? Cassandra could, apparently, which in the end would cost her dearly.

READ MORE: Apollo Family Tree: The Lineage of the Greek God of Light

But in the beginning, Cassandra at least entertained the idea of a romance with Apollo, and according to some accounts even encouraged him. Regardless, Apollo decided to make a grand gesture of love—or, at the very least, desire—and gave her the gift of prophecy.

Despite the gift (and the poetry and music), Cassandra ultimately decided Apollo wasn’t a good romantic match. She was resolute in this decision. Apollo did not react well, and it became obvious his gift was not a noble gesture. It came with certain expectations that Cassandra would not fulfill, not even for the son of Zeus.

No Refunds, No Returns

Apollo wanted vengeance, but apparently, he didn’t hang on to his receipts, because he was prevented by the gods from taking back his gift to Cassandra.

Cassandra may have known about the return policy of the gods and goddesses when it came to divine gifts, which may have emboldened her to reject Apollo, but she didn’t anticipate how Apollo would turn this blessing into a curse.

The Curse of Cassandra

Fueled by his rage at being rejected, Apollo found a clever workaround to take back his gift. He made it so that Cassandra’s prophecies would never be believed. No matter how accurate her prognostications, she would always be disregarded.

Cassandra was able to see the many tragedies that would befall her, her family, and her people, but would be unable to prevent any of them. In fact, many Trojans thought she was quite mad, and she may have even been imprisoned for a while.

Appearance and Personality

Cassandra was widely known for her great beauty, but also for her intelligence, steadfastness, and courage.

In the visual arts she’s depicted as a voluptuous beauty, such as in the famous statue Cassandre se met sous la protection de Pallas, which is in the Jardin de Tuileries in Paris. But she is also sometimes depicted in a state of despair, nearly tearing her hair out in anguish when her prophecies are not believed.

In one of the first remaining texts containing reference to Cassandra, Dares of Phrygia’s History of the Fall of Troy, we’re told only this by way of physical description: “Cassandra was of moderate stature, round-mouthed, and auburn-haired. Her eyes flashed.” 

What we know of her personality comes from her actions. Clearly, she was courageous and resolute to deny Apollo, one of the most powerful Greek Gods. She also kept to her convictions—no matter how many times she was ignored, she continued to try to persuade others to avoid the tragedies she foresaw.

Cassandra’s Role in the Fall of Troy

The Trojan War started when Cassandra’s brother, Paris, ran off with Helen, the wife of Menelaus, King of Sparta. Cassandra, of course, foresaw this, and made many attempts to stop Paris. In some of the darker accounts of Cassandra’s life, she even begged that Paris be killed as an infant in order to prevent the eventual fall of Troy.

However, it is more universally agreed that she tried to prevent Paris from going to Sparta, told him to stay away from Helen, begged him not to elope with Helen, and warned him not to bring Helen back to Troy.

Paris, of course, did not listen to his well-intentioned sister and did everything she warned him against.

As a result, Menelaus summoned several Greek armies to help him take back his wife and punish the Trojans. The fighting was ferocious, with many famous warriors on either side. Achilles slaughtered many Trojans in vengeance for the death of his friend, Patroclus, at the hands of Hector, one of Cassandra’s brothers.

Eventually, the Greeks surrounded Troy and laid siege to the city, but their supplies were also dwindling.

In one of the most famous events in Greek mythology, the Greeks finally got into Troy by building an enormous wooden horse and leaving it outside the gates. The Trojans took it as a sign of surrender and wheeled it into the city.

Cassandra knew this was all a ruse and that there were Greek soldiers inside the horse. No one believed her. She even attempted to take an ax to the horse but was prevented by her fellow Trojans, who were celebrating their perceived victory.

That night, as Troy slept, the Greeks snuck out and completely destroyed the city of Troy, killing Cassandra’s father and much of her family.

Cassandra’s Capture and Aftermath

Cassandra, knowing that doom was about to befall her city, sought safety in the temple of Athena. She clung to Athena’s statue in hopes of finding mercy, but she found none.

She was discovered by the Greek soldiers, including the famous Ajax the Lesser, who was known as second only to Achilles in terms of his abilities on the battlefield.

Vicious Attack by Ajax

Ajax entered the temple, ripped Cassandra away from the statue, and violated her, in some accounts in front of her father King Priam. The horrific event was widely depicted in ancient Greek art.

Athena took her revenge on Ajax by enlisting Poseidon to sink much of the Greek fleet at sea. Although Ajax initially escaped, he was drowned by Poseidon, who used his trident to destroy the rock to which Ajax was clinging.

The Death of Cassandra and Agamemnon

With most of Troy in ruins and nearly her entire family dead, Cassandra’s worst visions had come true, but she foresaw one more tragedy.

After Troy was completely vanquished, King Agamemnon, one of the commanders of the conquering Greek army, took Cassandra as his concubine. She had tragically become a spoil of war.

Cassandra foresaw that they would both be killed should they return to Agamemnon’s kingdom, but once again her prophecy fell on deaf ears. Agamemnon ignored her, and soon after their arrival in his native Mycenae, he was slain by his wife, Clytemnestra.[2] 

Clytemnestra then turned her knife on Cassandra, and Cassandra’s tragic life came to an end.

Cassandra’s Symbolism and Cultural Impact

Among all the Greek myths, Cassandra’s is one of the most remembered, and still resonant to this day. She has come to symbolize those who have great foresight and wisdom but are not taken seriously until it is too late.

From economists who predict economic bubbles before they pop, to scientists who anticipate devastating consequences of climate change, Cassandras are still everywhere. Just like Cassandra of Troy, they are often called doomsayers or party poopers and largely ignored.[3] 

It’s a curse that has befallen many brilliant minds, often with horrific consequences. Almost all modern wars have their Cassandras—those who hear the drum beats of war but can’t get others to listen.

The myth of Cassandra has even entered the pop music realm, with acts as diverse as ABBA, Mars Volta, and Taylor Swift naming songs after the doomed Trojan princess.

Wrapping Up the Story of Cassandra, the Tragic Seer

To see a tragedy about to unfold but being unable to stop it is among everyone’s worst nightmares—trying to yell out a warning to an endangered loved one, only to find out your voice doesn’t work.

This is the nightmare that Cassandra lived, over and over, throughout her tragic life. She knew Troy would fall. She knew her family would be murdered. She knew she herself would be murdered. But she couldn’t stop any of it.

Cassandra’s story reflects the tragic truth that we cannot stop the tragedies that may befall us or our loved ones, even if we see them coming. For these reasons, the tragedy of Cassandra continues to be amongst the most famous Greek myths and will continue to resonate for centuries to come.

References

  1. Fitton, Lesley and Villing, Alexandra. “The Search for the Lost City of Troy.” The British Museum (blog), The British Museum, June 18, 2019. https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/search-lost-city-troy
  2. Saint, Jennifer. 2022. Elektra. Flatiron Books.
  3. McEnroe, Colin. “Exploring the Myth and Metaphor of Cassandra and the Price of Foresight.” The Colin McEnroe Show. Podcast, January 25, 2023. https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/2023-01-25/exploring-the-myth-and-metaphor-of-cassandra-and-the-price-of-foresight 

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