Lycus of Euboea

In Greek mythology, Lycus (/ˈlaɪkəs/ LY-kəs; Ancient Greek: Λύκος, romanized: Lúkos, lit. 'wolf') was the son of King Lycus of Thebes, the brother of Nycteus.[1] He appeared in Euripides's Heracles.

Genealogy

Royal house of Thebes family tree
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  • Solid lines indicate descendants.
  • Dashed lines indicate marriages.
  • Dotted lines indicate extra-marital relationships or adoptions.
  • Kings of Thebes are numbered with bold names and a light purple background.
    • Joint rules are indicated by a number and lowercase letter, for example, 5a. Amphion shared the throne with 5b. Zethus.
  • Regents of Thebes are alphanumbered (format AN) with bold names and a light red background.
    • The number N refers to the regency preceding the reign of the Nth king. Generally this means the regent served the Nth king but not always, as Creon (A9) was serving as regent to Laodamas (the 10th King) when he was slain by Lycus II (the usurping 9th king).
    • The letter A refers to the regency sequence. "A" is the first regent, "B" is the second, etc.
  • Deities have a yellow background color.

Harmonia1.
Cadmus		PolyxoA4.
Nycteus (Regent)		DirceB4 & A6.
Lycus (Regent)
ZeusZeus
InoAgaveEchion3.
Polydorus		NycteisAntiope
SemeleAutonoë
Dionysus2.
Pentheus		Epeiros4.
Labdacus		5a.
Amphion		5b.
Zethus
Menoeceus
EurydiceA7, A8 & A9.
Creon (Regent)		Jocasta6.
Laius		MeropePolybus
HipponomeAlcaeus
Zeus
AlcmeneAmphitryonPerimede7.
Oedipus
MegaraHeraclesIphiclesAnaxo
HeniocheMegareusHaemonAntigone8b.
Eteocles		Argea8a.
Polynices
PyrrhaLycomedesIsmene9.
Lycus II
A12.
Peneleos (Regent)		10.
Laodamas		Demonassa11.
Thersander
Opheltes12.
Tisamenus
14.
Damasichthon		13.
Autesion
15.
Ptolemy		TherasArgeiaAristodemus
16.
Xanthos		EurysthenesProcles


Mythology

Originally from Euboea, Lycus seized power in Ancient Thebes (Boeotia) by killing King Creon who at the time was regent for the son of Eteocles, Laodamas. Lycus mistreated Creon's family, throwing them out of their house and depriving them food and clothing.[2] However, Creon was the father-in-law of the hero Heracles, who returned unexpectedly to Thebes and slew Lycus. Laodamas succeeded him as king.[3]

Regnal titles
Preceded by King of Thebes Succeeded by

Notes

  1. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae 31; Tzetzes on Lycophron, Alexandra 38
  2. ^ Euripides, Heracles 54
  3. ^ Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, Company, 1834, p. 352.

References

  • Euripides, Heracles, translated by E. P. Coleridge in The Complete Greek Drama, edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. Volume 1. New York. Random House. 1938. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 2. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Tripp, Edward, Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology, Thomas Y. Crowell Co; First edition (June 1970). ISBN 069022608X.


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