Lyrcus
Encyclopedia
Lyrcus is the name of two Greek
figures, one a figure in a 1st-century BC Romance
by Parthenius of Nicaea
, the other the eponym
ous legendary founder of Lyrceia. Stories of both located Lyrcus near Argos
; their individual lives intertwine with other historical and mythological figures.
in his Erotica Pathemata ("Of the Sorrows of Love").
In the narrative, Io
, daughter of Inachus
, king in Argos
, was captured by brigands. Her father Inachus sent several men to search for her. One of these was Lyrcus the son of Phoroneus
, who searched land and sea without finding the girl, and finally quit the quest: but he was too afraid of Inachus to return to Argos without her, and went instead to Caunus in Caria
, where he married the daughter of King Aegialus, Hilebia, who fell in love with Lyrcus as soon as she saw him and persuaded her father to betroth them. Aegialus gave Lyrcus as dowry
a good share of the realm and of the rest of the regal attributes, and accepted him as his son-in-law.
Years passed and Lyrcus and his wife had no children. Lyrcus made a journey to the oracle at Didyma to ask how he might obtain offspring. The answer was, that he would beget a child with the first woman whom he bedded after leaving the shrine. Happily he hurried towards home and wife, but on the journey, when he arrived at Bybastus (or Bubastos), he was entertained by Staphylus
, who welcomed Lyrcus in a friendly manner and enticed him to much drinking of wine. When Lyrcus had his senses dulled with wine, Staphylus united Lyrcus with Staphylus's own daughter Hemithea
, having heard the prediction of the oracle
and desiring to have descendants born to Hemithea.
Bitter strife arose between Rhoeo
and Hemithea, the two daughters of Staphylus, as to which should have Lyrcus, for a great desire for him had arisen in both of them. The next morning Lyrcus discovered the trap that his host had laid for him. When Lyrcus saw Hemithea by his side: he was exceedingly angry. He upbraided Staphylus violently for his conduct. Finally seeing that there was nothing to be done, Lyrcus took off his belt and gave it to the girl, telling her to keep it until their future child had come of age. Then the child would possess a token by which he might be recognized, if he should ever come to his father at Caunus. Lyrcus sailed away home.
When King Aegialus heard the whole story about the oracle and about Hemithea he banished Lyrcus. There was then a war of great length between Lyrcus and Aegialus: Hilebia was on the side of Lyrcus, for she refused to repudiate her husband. Lyrcus became king of Caunus. Years later Basilus, the son of Lyrcus and Hemithea, came to the land of Caunus. Lyrcus recognized him as his son, and made him ruler over his peoples.
's Description of Greece, the city of Lyrceia lies on one of the two roads which proceeded from the gate of Deiras. The northern road leads to Lyrceia and Orneae
. The city was formerly called Lynceia but when Lyrcus the illegitimate son of Abas
got possession of the place it was renamed Lyrceia. Later the town fell in ruins with nothing remaining except the statue of Lyrcus upon a pillar. The distance from Argos
to Lyrceia is about sixty stades and the distance from Lyrceia to Orneae is the same, with Lyrceia situated between the two cities on the road named Climax. Homer
in the Catalogue
makes no mention of the city Lyrcea because at the time of the Greek expedition against Troy
it already lay deserted. Lyrcus arrived here after fleeing when all his other brothers the sons of Aegyptus
were murdered by the daughters of Danaus
on their wedding night. He gave intelligence of his safe arrival to his faithful wife Hypermnestra
by holding up a torch and she in like manner informed him of her safety by raising a torch from Larissa
the citadel of Argos. In some versions of this story Lyrcus is known as Lynceus
.
History of Greece
The history of Greece encompasses the history of the territory of the modern state of Greece, as well as that of the Greek people and the areas they ruled historically. The scope of Greek habitation and rule has varied much through the ages, and, as a result, the history of Greece is similarly...
figures, one a figure in a 1st-century BC Romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
by Parthenius of Nicaea
Parthenius of Nicaea
Parthenius of Nicaea or Myrlea in Bithynia was a Greek grammarian and poet. According to the Suda, he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus, his mother's name was Tetha. He was taken prisoner by Cinna in the Mithridatic Wars and carried to Rome in 72 BC. He...
, the other the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous legendary founder of Lyrceia. Stories of both located Lyrcus near Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
; their individual lives intertwine with other historical and mythological figures.
Parthenius of Nicaea
The story of Lyrcus is related by Parthenius of NicaeaParthenius of Nicaea
Parthenius of Nicaea or Myrlea in Bithynia was a Greek grammarian and poet. According to the Suda, he was the son of Heraclides and Eudora, or according to Hermippus of Berytus, his mother's name was Tetha. He was taken prisoner by Cinna in the Mithridatic Wars and carried to Rome in 72 BC. He...
in his Erotica Pathemata ("Of the Sorrows of Love").
In the narrative, Io
IO
Io, IO, I/O, i/o, or i.o. may refer to:-An abbreviation:* I.O., a theater in Chicago, Illinois dedicated to improvisational comedy* i.o., "in illo ordine", Latin phrase meaning "respectively"...
, daughter of Inachus
Inachus
In Greek mythology, Inachus was a king of Argos after whom a river was called Inachus River, the modern Panitsa that drains the western margin of the Argive plain...
, king in Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
, was captured by brigands. Her father Inachus sent several men to search for her. One of these was Lyrcus the son of Phoroneus
Phoroneus
In Greek mythology, Phoroneus was a culture-hero of the Argolid, fire-bringer, primordial king of Argos and son of the river god Inachus and either Melia, the primordial ash-tree nymph or Argia, the embodiment of the Argolid itself: "Inachus, son of Oceanus, begat Phoroneus by his sister Argia,"...
, who searched land and sea without finding the girl, and finally quit the quest: but he was too afraid of Inachus to return to Argos without her, and went instead to Caunus in Caria
Caria
Caria was a region of western Anatolia extending along the coast from mid-Ionia south to Lycia and east to Phrygia. The Ionian and Dorian Greeks colonized the west of it and joined the Carian population in forming Greek-dominated states there...
, where he married the daughter of King Aegialus, Hilebia, who fell in love with Lyrcus as soon as she saw him and persuaded her father to betroth them. Aegialus gave Lyrcus as dowry
Dowry
A dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents, and dower, which is property settled on the bride herself by the groom at the time of marriage. The same culture may simultaneously practice both...
a good share of the realm and of the rest of the regal attributes, and accepted him as his son-in-law.
Years passed and Lyrcus and his wife had no children. Lyrcus made a journey to the oracle at Didyma to ask how he might obtain offspring. The answer was, that he would beget a child with the first woman whom he bedded after leaving the shrine. Happily he hurried towards home and wife, but on the journey, when he arrived at Bybastus (or Bubastos), he was entertained by Staphylus
Staphylus
Staphylus is almost always associated with grapes or wine. In Greek mythology, he was:# The son of wine-god Dionysus and Ariadne. His brothers include Oenopion , Thoas, Peparethus, Phanus and Euanthes . Both Staphylus and Phanus are counted among the Argonauts...
, who welcomed Lyrcus in a friendly manner and enticed him to much drinking of wine. When Lyrcus had his senses dulled with wine, Staphylus united Lyrcus with Staphylus's own daughter Hemithea
Hemithea (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the name Hemithea refers to:* Originally named Molpadia, daughter of Staphylus and Chrysothemis, sister of Parthenos and Rhoeo...
, having heard the prediction of the oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
and desiring to have descendants born to Hemithea.
Bitter strife arose between Rhoeo
Rhoeo
In Greek mythology, Rhoeo was a daughter of Staphylus and Chrysothemis, sister to Parthenos and Molpadia or Hemithea. Parthenius relates that she once experienced a great jealosy of her sister Hemithea when Staphylus arranged for the latter to spend a night with Lyrcus, his guest, whom both...
and Hemithea, the two daughters of Staphylus, as to which should have Lyrcus, for a great desire for him had arisen in both of them. The next morning Lyrcus discovered the trap that his host had laid for him. When Lyrcus saw Hemithea by his side: he was exceedingly angry. He upbraided Staphylus violently for his conduct. Finally seeing that there was nothing to be done, Lyrcus took off his belt and gave it to the girl, telling her to keep it until their future child had come of age. Then the child would possess a token by which he might be recognized, if he should ever come to his father at Caunus. Lyrcus sailed away home.
When King Aegialus heard the whole story about the oracle and about Hemithea he banished Lyrcus. There was then a war of great length between Lyrcus and Aegialus: Hilebia was on the side of Lyrcus, for she refused to repudiate her husband. Lyrcus became king of Caunus. Years later Basilus, the son of Lyrcus and Hemithea, came to the land of Caunus. Lyrcus recognized him as his son, and made him ruler over his peoples.
City of Lyrceia
In PausaniasPausanias (geographer)
Pausanias was a Greek traveler and geographer of the 2nd century AD, who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He is famous for his Description of Greece , a lengthy work that describes ancient Greece from firsthand observations, and is a crucial link between classical...
's Description of Greece, the city of Lyrceia lies on one of the two roads which proceeded from the gate of Deiras. The northern road leads to Lyrceia and Orneae
Orneae
Orneae was an ancient Greek City which is mentioned in Homer's Catalogue of Ships and which was situated north of Leontio in the prefecture of Corinthia....
. The city was formerly called Lynceia but when Lyrcus the illegitimate son of Abas
Abas
Abas or ABAS may refer to:In people:*Abas , an ancient Greek sophist and rhetorician*Abas , several individuals in Greek and Roman mythology...
got possession of the place it was renamed Lyrceia. Later the town fell in ruins with nothing remaining except the statue of Lyrcus upon a pillar. The distance from Argos
Argos
Argos is a city and a former municipality in Argolis, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Argos-Mykines, of which it is a municipal unit. It is 11 kilometres from Nafplion, which was its historic harbour...
to Lyrceia is about sixty stades and the distance from Lyrceia to Orneae is the same, with Lyrceia situated between the two cities on the road named Climax. Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
in the Catalogue
Catalogue of Ships
The Catalogue of Ships is a passage in Book 2 of Homer's Iliad , which lists the contingents of the Achaean army that sailed to Troy...
makes no mention of the city Lyrcea because at the time of the Greek expedition against Troy
Troy
Troy was a city, both factual and legendary, located in northwest Anatolia in what is now Turkey, southeast of the Dardanelles and beside Mount Ida...
it already lay deserted. Lyrcus arrived here after fleeing when all his other brothers the sons of Aegyptus
Aegyptus
- Aegyptus, King of Egypt and Arabia :In Greek mythology, Aegyptus is a descendant of the heifer maiden, Io, and the river-god Nilus, and was a king in Egypt. Aegyptos was the son of Belus and Achiroe, a naiad daughter of Nile. Aegyptus fathered fifty sons, who were all but one murdered by the...
were murdered by the daughters of Danaus
Danaus
In Greek mythology Danaus, or Danaos , was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe and Belus, a mythical king of Egypt. The myth of Danaus is a foundation legend of Argos, one of the foremost Mycenaean cities of the Peloponnesus...
on their wedding night. He gave intelligence of his safe arrival to his faithful wife Hypermnestra
Hypermnestra
Hypermnestra , in Greek mythology, is a name that refers to several characters.-The Danaid:Hypermnestra was the daughter of Danaus. Danaus was the twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Belus. He had fifty daughters, the Danaides, and Aegyptus had fifty sons. Aegyptus commanded that his sons marry the...
by holding up a torch and she in like manner informed him of her safety by raising a torch from Larissa
Larissa
Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
the citadel of Argos. In some versions of this story Lyrcus is known as Lynceus
Lynceus
In Greek mythology, Lynceus was a king of Argos, succeeding Danaus. He is named as a descendant of Belus through his father Aegyptus, who was the twin brother of Danaus. Danaus had fifty daughters, the Danaides, while Aegyptus had fifty sons including Lynceus, whose name when translated means "wolf"...
.