Before the arrival of Dardanus, the land that would eventually be called Dardania (and later still the Troad) was known as Teucria and the inhabitants as Teucrians, after Teucer.
According to Virgil, Teucer was originally from Crete but left the island during a great famine with a third of its inhabitants.
[6] Dardanus received land on Mount Ida from his father-in-law when Teucer died since he did not have a biological son.
Diodorus states that Teucer was "the first to rule as king over the land of Troy" while in the Aeneid, Anchises recalls him being the Trojans' "first forefather".
[9] This suggests that King Teucer was considered the first figure to bear the bloodline of the Trojans as his father Scamander did not have such acclamations.