Polydoros

Polydoros, also transliterated as Polydorus, is a masculine given name of ancient Greek origin. It comes from the elements poly- meaning “much” or “many” and doron meaning “gift.” The name was borne by several figures in ancient Greek myth and history, though the most prominent is Polydorus, a Trojan prince.

In myth, Polydorus is the son of Priam and Hecuba. After the fall of Troy, he was sent to the Thracian king Polymestor with a store of gold to keep him safe. Polymestor murdered him to seize the gold, an act that features in the Trojan War narratives and later literature as a emblem of treachery and the costs of war.

Beyond the Trojan prince, ancient sources mention other individuals named Polydoros, including figures associated with various regions and epochs. The exact identities and deeds of these figures are less uniformly attested, and details vary between authors and traditions. The name also appears in later Greek and Latin texts, sometimes in slightly different forms such as Polydore or Polydorian.

In modern usage, Polydoros continues to be a given name in Greek-speaking communities. In English-language scholarship, some ancient individuals named Polydorus are referred to with the alternative transliteration Polydorus, reflecting different transliteration practices from Greek.