Inachus on Superphysics

Asterius the Minotaur

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.1.1] Having now run over the family of Inachus and described them from Belus down to the Heraclids, we have next to speak of the house of Agenor.

Libya had by Poseidon two sons:

The Death of Semele

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.3.1] To Deucalion were born Idomeneus and Crete and a bastard son Molus.24 But Glaucus, while he was yet a child, in chasing a mouse fell into a jar of honey and was drowned.25 On his disappearance Minos made a great search and consulted diviners as to how he should find him. The Curetes told him that in his herds he had a cow of three different colors, and that the man who could best describe that cow’s color would also restore his son to him alive.26 So when the diviners were assembled, Polyidus, son of Coeranus, compared the color of the cow to the fruit of the bramble, and being compelled to seek for the child he found him by means of a sort of divination.27 But Minos declaring that he must recover him alive, he was shut up with the dead body. And while he was in great perplexity, he saw a serpent going towards the corpse. He threw a stone and killed it, fearing to be killed himself if any harm befell the body.28 But another serpent came, and, seeing the former one dead, departed, and then returned, bringing a herb, and placed it on the whole body of the other; and no sooner was the herb so placed upon it than the dead serpent came to life. Surprised at this sight, Polyidus applied the same herb to the body of Glaucus and raised him from the dead.29

Dionysus

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[3.5.1] Dionysus discovered the vine, and being driven mad by Hera he roamed about Egypt and Syria.

At first he was received by Proteus, king of Egypt,50 but afterwards he arrived at Cybela in Phrygia.51 And there, after he had been purified by Rhea and learned the rites of initiation, he received from her the costume and hastened through Thrace against the Indians. But Lycurgus, son of Dryas, was king of the Edonians, who dwell beside the river Strymon, and he was the first who insulted and expelled him.52 Dionysus took refuge in the sea with Thetis, daughter of Nereus, and the Bacchanals were taken prisoners together with the multitude of Satyrs that attended him. But afterwards the Bacchanals were suddenly released, and Dionysus drove Lycurgus mad. And in his madness he struck his son Dryas dead with an axe, imagining that he was lopping a branch of a vine, and when he had cut off his son’s extremities,53 he recovered his senses.54 But the land remaining barren, the god declared oracularly that it would bear fruit if Lycurgus were put to death. On hearing that, the Edonians led him to Mount Pangaeum and bound him, and there by the will of Dionysus he died, destroyed by horses.55

King Adrastus

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.6.1] Eteocles and Polynices made a compact with each other concerning the kingdom and resolved that each should rule alternately for a year at a time.

Some say that Polynices was the first to rule, and that after a year he handed over the kingdom to Eteocles; but some say that Eteocles was the first to rule, and would not hand over the kingdom.

Alcmaeon

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.7.1] Having succeeded to the kingdom of Thebes, Creon cast out the Argive dead unburied, issued a proclamation that none should bury them, and set watchmen.

But Antigone, one of the daughters of Oedipus, stole the body of Polynices, and secretly buried it, and having been detected by Creon himself, she was interred alive in the grave.115 Adrastus fled to Athens116 and took refuge at the altar of Mercy, and laying on it the suppliant’s bough118 he prayed that they would bury the dead. And the Athenians marched with Theseus, captured Thebes, and gave the dead to their kinsfolk to bury.

The Beautiful Helen

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.9.1] Arcas had two sons, Elatus and Aphidas, by Leanira, daughter of Amyclas, or by Meganira, daughter of Croco, or, according to Eumelus, by a nymph Chrysopelia.

These divided the land between them.

The story of the Palladium

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.11.1] Menelaus had by Helen a daughter Hermione and, according to some, a son Nicostratus and by a female slave Pieris, an Aetolian, or, according to Acusilaus, by Tereis, he had a son Megapenthes201; and by a nymph Cnossia, according to Eumelus, he had a son Xenodamus.

Peleus

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[3.13.1] Peleus fled to Phthia to the court of Eurytion, son of Actor, and was purified by him, and he received from him his daughter Antigone and the third part of the country.250 And a daughter Polydora was born to him, who was wedded by Borus, son of Perieres.251

Pandion

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

[3.15.1] When Pandion died, his sons divided their father’s inheritance between them, and Erechtheus got the kingdom,309 and Butes got the priesthood of Athena and Poseidon Erechtheus.310 Erechtheus married Praxithea, daughter of Phrasimus by Diogenia, daughter of Cephisus, and had sons, to wit, Cecrops, Pandorus, and Metion; and daughters, to wit, Procris, Creusa, Chthonia, and Orithyia, who was carried off by Boreas.311