Geography Index

Dardania

The kingdom founded by Dardanos, the first ruler in the Trojan bloodline.

  Dardanos, a son of the god Zeus, was the eponymous founder Dardania. Originally located in the foothills of Mount Ida, Dardania began to expand its influence onto the Idean Plain and eventually became a city near the Propontis close to the eventual site of Troy.

  The Greek philosopher Plato had an interesting theory about the development of Greek culture after the flood of Deukalion. The prehistoric flood destroyed the island and coastal communities and made the survivors wary about living near the sea. Men like Dardanos would have been in that generation. He established his dominion in the highlands near Mount Ida and his descendants slowly moved to lower elevations and finally to the coastland of the Propontis where a city named Dardania was situated. The city of Troy was founded by Dardanos' grandson Tros but the territory in the foothills of Mount Ida retained the designation, Dardania.

  Aineias, a son of the goddess Aphrodite, commanded the Dardanian soldiers during the Trojan War. Although the Dardanians were a distinct military contingent, they were considered to be Trojans.