Antenor (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Anthenor (Ἀντήνωρ; gen.: Ἀντήνορος) was a son of the Dardanian noble Aesyetes by Cleomestra. He was one of the wisest of the Trojan elders and counsellors. Antenor was husband of Theano, daughter of Cisseus of Thrace, who bore him numerous children, mostly sons (most of whom perished during the Trojan War). Before and during the Trojan War, he was a counsellor of King Priam. He advised his fellow-townsmen to send Helen back to the Greeks, and showed himself friendly to the Greeks and an advocate of peace. In the later story (according to Dares and Dictys) he was said to have treacherously opened the gates of Troy to the enemy; in return for which, at the general sack of the city, his house, marked by a panther's skin at the door, was spared by the victors. Afterwards, according to various versions of the legend, he either rebuilt a city on the site of Troy, or settled at Cyrene, or became the founder of Patavium (currently Padua). The circle Anthenora, for traitors, is named after him in the Divine Comedy. Anthenor's children by Theano include Archelochus, Acamas, Glaucus, Helicaon, Laodocus, Coon, Polybus, Agenor, Iphidamas, Laodamas, Demeleon, Eurymachus, and Crino. He was also the father of a son Pedaeus, by an unknown woman.

Antenor in Literature
Antenor appears briefly in Homer's Iliad. In Book 3, he is present when Helen identifies for Priam each of the Greek warriors from the wall of Troy; when she describes Odysseus, Antenor criticizes her, saying how he entertained Odysseus and Menelaus and got to know both. In Book 7, as mentioned above, he advises the Trojans to give back Helen, but Paris refuses to yield.

In Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, Antenor appears as a minor, non-speaking character who has been taken prisoner by the Greeks but is returned for them in exchange for Cressida.

Modern references
A minor planet 2207 Anthenor discovered in 1977 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh is named after him.