Cassandra
heroA Trojan princess blessed with prophecy by Apollo but cursed so that no one would ever believe her predictions. She foresaw Troy's destruction but could not prevent it.
The Myth
Cassandra was a daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Apollo, desiring her, offered her the gift of prophecy. Cassandra accepted the gift but then refused Apollo's advances. Unable to take back a divine gift, Apollo added a curse: Cassandra would always see the future truly, but no one would ever believe her.
Cassandra foresaw every disaster that would befall Troy — Paris's journey to Sparta, Helen's abduction, the decade of war, and the city's ultimate destruction. She screamed warnings as the Greeks built the wooden horse, begging the Trojans not to bring it within the walls. No one listened.
When Troy fell, Cassandra was dragged from Athena's temple by Ajax the Lesser and taken as a war prize by Agamemnon. She prophesied that both she and Agamemnon would be murdered upon reaching Mycenae. Again, no one believed her. When they arrived, Clytemnestra killed them both — exactly as Cassandra had foreseen.
Parents
Priam and Hecuba
Symbols
Fun Fact
A "Cassandra" or "Cassandra complex" describes someone who makes accurate warnings that are ignored — a tragically common phenomenon.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth: