Greek Anthology Book XIV: 9. - Riddle

Riddle

My father-in-law killed my husband and my husband killed my father-in-law;

my brother-in-law killed my father-in-law, and my father-in-law my father.

Solution

Andromache was the wife of Hector, and the daughter of Eetion.

Achilles, who was the father of her second husband Neoptolemus, killed both Eetion and Hector.

Neoptolemus, who had a reputation for being somewhat brutal, killed Priam, the father of Hector, and took Andromache as a wife (technically, a concubine).

Finally, Paris, the brother of Hector and therefore the brother-in-law of Andromache, killed her second father-in-law Achilles.

Sources

• 1918: W.R. Paton: The Greek Anthology Book XIV ... (previous) ... (next): $9$. -- Riddle
• 1992: David Wells: Curious and Interesting Puzzles ... (previous) ... (next): Metrodorus and the Greek Anthology