Phoroneus
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Phoroneus (Φορωνεύς) 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," wrote Hyginus
, in Fabulae 143. Hyginus' genealogy expresses the position of Phoroneus as one of the primordial men, whose local identities differed in the various regions of Greece, and who had for a mother the essential spirit of the very earth of Argos herself, Argia. He was the primordial king in the Peloponnesus, authorized by Zeus: "Formerly Zeus himself had ruled over men, but Hermes created a confusion of human speech
, which spoiled Zeus' pleasure in this Rule". Phoroneus introduced both the worship of Hera
and the use of fire and the forge. Poseidon and Hera had vied for the land: when the primeval waters had receded, Phoroneus "was the first to gather the people together into a community; for they had up to then been living as scattered and lonesome families". (Pausanias
).
Phoroneus was said to have been married to Cinna, or Cerdo, or Teledice (or Laodice) the nymph, or Perimede
, or first to Peitho
and second to Europe, and to have fathered a number of children, some of whom are dealt with below; others include Car, Chthonia, Clymenus, Sparton, Lyrcus
and Europs, an illegitimate son. An unnamed daughter of his is said to have consorted with Hecaterus
.
In Argive culture, Niobe
is associated with Phoroneus, sometimes as his mother, sometimes as his daughter, or else, likely, as his consort (Kerenyi). His successor was Argus
, who was Niobe's son, either by Zeus
or Phoroneus himself. He was also the father of Apis
, who may have also ruled Argos (according to Tatiānus). He was worshipped in Argos
with an eternal fire
that was shown to Pausanias in the 2nd century CE, and funeral sacrifices were offered to him at his tomb-sanctuary.
In another story, according to Hellanicus of Lesbos
, Phoroneus had at least three sons: Agenor
, Jasus
and Pelasgus
, and that after the death of Phoroneus, the two elder brothers divided his dominions between themselves in such a manner that Pelasgus received the country about the river Erasmus, and built Larissa
, and Iasus the country about Elis
. After the death of these two, Agenor, the youngest, invaded their dominions, and thus became king of Argos
.
Clement of Alexandria
mentions Phthia, a daughter of Phoroneus, who became the mother of Achaeus by Zeus. This version is to some extent confirmed by Aelian
, who relates that Zeus assumed the shape of a dove to seduce a certain Phthia.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Phoroneus (Φορωνεύς) was a culture-hero of the Argolid, fire-bringer, primordial king of Argos and son of the river god
River God
River God is a novel by author Wilbur Smith. It tells the story of the talented eunuch slave Taita, his life in Egypt, the flight of Taita along with the Egyptian populace from the Hyksos invasion, and their eventual return. The novel can be grouped together with Wilbur Smith's other books on...
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...
and either Melia
Melia
-People:* Melia Watras , a prominent American violist* Elie Melia , a Georgian Orthodox priest and church historian* Fulvio Melia , an Italian-American physicist* Jimmy Melia , a former English footballer...
, the primordial ash-tree nymph or Argia, the embodiment of the Argolid itself: "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...
, son of Oceanus
Oceanus
Oceanus ; , Ōkeanós) was a pseudo-geographical feature in classical antiquity, believed by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be the world-ocean, an enormous river encircling the world....
, begat Phoroneus by his sister Argia," wrote Hyginus
Gaius Julius Hyginus
Gaius Julius Hyginus was a Latin author, a pupil of the famous Cornelius Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was by Augustus elected superintendent of the Palatine library according to Suetonius' De Grammaticis, 20...
, in Fabulae 143. Hyginus' genealogy expresses the position of Phoroneus as one of the primordial men, whose local identities differed in the various regions of Greece, and who had for a mother the essential spirit of the very earth of Argos herself, Argia. He was the primordial king in the Peloponnesus, authorized by Zeus: "Formerly Zeus himself had ruled over men, but Hermes created a confusion of human speech
Mythical origins of language
There have been many accounts of the origin of language in the world's mythologies and other stories pertaining to the origin of language, the development of language and the reasons behind the diversity in languages today....
, which spoiled Zeus' pleasure in this Rule". Phoroneus introduced both the worship of Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
and the use of fire and the forge. Poseidon and Hera had vied for the land: when the primeval waters had receded, Phoroneus "was the first to gather the people together into a community; for they had up to then been living as scattered and lonesome families". (Pausanias
Pausanias (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...
).
Phoroneus was said to have been married to Cinna, or Cerdo, or Teledice (or Laodice) the nymph, or Perimede
Perimede (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the name Perimede refers to:*A daughter of Oeneus, mother of Astypalaea and Europe by Phoenix .*Sister of Amphitryon and wife of Licymnius....
, or first to Peitho
Peitho
In Greek mythology, Peitho is the goddess who personifies persuasion and seduction. Her Roman name is Suadela. Pausanias reports that after the unification of Athens, Theseus set up a cult of Aphrodite Pandemos and Peitho on the south slope of Acropolis at Athens. Peitho, in her role as an...
and second to Europe, and to have fathered a number of children, some of whom are dealt with below; others include Car, Chthonia, Clymenus, Sparton, Lyrcus
Lyrcus
Lyrcus is the name of two Greek figures, one a figure in a 1st-century BC Romance by Parthenius of Nicaea, the other the eponymous legendary founder of Lyrceia...
and Europs, an illegitimate son. An unnamed daughter of his is said to have consorted with Hecaterus
Hecaterus
In Greek mythology, Hecaterus or Hekateros was the father of five daughters by an unnamed daughter of Phoroneus, and through them grandfather of the Oreads, Satyrs, and Curetes....
.
In Argive culture, Niobe
Niobe (disambiguation)
-Greek mythology:*Niobe, daughter of Tantalus and Dione* Niobe, rival of Aedon* Niobe, daughter of Phoroneus-Arts:*Niobe, a lost play by Aeschylus*Niobe, regina di Tebe, an opera by Agostino Steffani...
is associated with Phoroneus, sometimes as his mother, sometimes as his daughter, or else, likely, as his consort (Kerenyi). His successor was Argus
ARGUS
ARGUS, all capitalized, may refer to:* ARGUS , a particle physics experiment that ran at DESY* ARGUS distribution, a function used in particle physics named after the above experiment...
, who was Niobe's son, either by Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
or Phoroneus himself. He was also the father of Apis
Apis (Greek mythology)
-King of Argos:Apis was a king of Argos. He was a son of Phoroneus by the nymph Laodice, and brother of Niobe. During his reign he established a tyrannical government and called the Peloponnesus after his own name Apia: but he was killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion, king of Sparta, and Telchis...
, who may have also ruled Argos (according to Tatiānus). He was worshipped 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...
with an eternal fire
Eternal flame
An eternal flame is a flame or torch that burns day and night for an indefinite period. The flame that burned constantly at Delphi was an archaic feature, "alien to the ordinary Greek temple"....
that was shown to Pausanias in the 2nd century CE, and funeral sacrifices were offered to him at his tomb-sanctuary.
In another story, according to Hellanicus of Lesbos
Hellanicus of Lesbos
Hellanicus of Lesbos was an ancient Greek logographer who flourished during the latter half of the 5th century BC. He was born in Mytilene on the isle of Lesbos in 490 BC and is reputed to have lived to the age of 85...
, Phoroneus had at least three sons: Agenor
Agenor, son of Jasus
Agenor was a son of Jasus, and, in some mythological traditions, father of the giant Argus Panoptes. Hellanicus of Lesbos states that Agenor was instead a son of Phoroneus, and brother of Jasus and Pelasgus, and that after their father's death, the two elder brothers divided his dominions between...
, Jasus
Iasus
In Greek mythology, Iasus or Iasius was the name of several individuals:*Iasus, king of Argos. His genealogy is confused; according to different sources, he was:**Son of Phoroneus, brother of Agenor and Pelasgus...
and Pelasgus
Pelasgus
In Greek mythology, Pelasgus was the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians, the mythical inhabitants of Greece who established the worship of the Dodonaean Zeus, Hephaestus, the Cabeiri, and other divinities. In the different parts of the country once occupied by Pelasgians, there existed...
, and that after the death of Phoroneus, the two elder brothers divided his dominions between themselves in such a manner that Pelasgus received the country about the river Erasmus, and built 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...
, and Iasus the country about Elis
Elis
Elis, or Eleia is an ancient district that corresponds with the modern Elis peripheral unit...
. After the death of these two, Agenor, the youngest, invaded their dominions, and thus became king of 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...
.
Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria
Titus Flavius Clemens , known as Clement of Alexandria , was a Christian theologian and the head of the noted Catechetical School of Alexandria. Clement is best remembered as the teacher of Origen...
mentions Phthia, a daughter of Phoroneus, who became the mother of Achaeus by Zeus. This version is to some extent confirmed by Aelian
Claudius Aelianus
Claudius Aelianus , often seen as just Aelian, born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severus and probably outlived Elagabalus, who died in 222...
, who relates that Zeus assumed the shape of a dove to seduce a certain Phthia.