As true as Troilus
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Troilus is meant by Shakespeare to be the type of constancy, and Cressida the type of female inconstancy.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “As true as Troilus” mean?
Troilus is meant by Shakespeare to be the type of constancy, and Cressida the type of female inconstancy.
Is “As true as Troilus” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.