Cadmus, or Kadmos (Greek: Κάδμος), in Greek mythology, was a Phoenician prince^[1], son of Agenor and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix and Europa. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance In Greek mythology, Inachus ( Greek: Ἴναχος personified the Inachus River the modern Panitsa that drains the western margin of the Argive plain Ocean (Ὠκεανός was believed to be the world-ocean in Classical antiquity, which the ancient Romans and Greeks considered to be In Classical Greek mythology, Tethys (Greek Τηθύς) daughter of Uranus and Gaia ( Hesiod, Theogony lines In Greek mythology, Phoroneus (Φορωνεύς was a Culture-hero of the Argolid, fire-bringer primordial king and son of the River god In Greek mythology, Io (ˈaɪoʊ or /ˈiːoʊ/ World Book «EYE oh», in Ancient Greek Ἰώ) was a priestess of Hera in Argos In Greek mythology, the Meliae or Meliai (Μελιάδες were Nymphs of the Ash tree, whose name they shared In Greek mythology, Epaphus (Ἔπαφος also called Apis, was the son of Zeus and Io and a king of Egypt. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Libya is the name given to both a region of North Africa ( Ancient Libya) and a daughter of Epaphus, King of Egypt in both Greek and Roman In Greek mythology Memphis was the wife to Epaphus, mother of Libya and sometimes the daughter of Nilus. Belus ( Greek Βῆλος) the Egyptian is in Greek Mythology a son of Poseidon by Libya. Agenor ( Gr, "heroic manly" was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician king of Tyre. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" In Greek mythology, Αἴγυπτος/Aígyptos, usually Latinized as Aegyptus, in Greek ("supine goat" descendant of the Heifer Danaus, or Danaos ("sleeper" Greek Δαναός) was a Greek mythological character, twin brother of Aegyptus and son of Achiroe Achiroe ( Greek:) or according to Apollodorus Anchinoë which is perhaps a mistake for Anchiroë was in Greek mythology a Naiad, a daughter Hypermnestra (Ὑπερμνήστρα in Greek mythology, was the daughter of Danaus. Proetus was a mythical king of Tiryns. His father Abas, son of the last surviving Danaid, had ruled over Argos as well and Phoenix (Φοῖνιξ in Greek mythology was a son of Agenor and either brother or father to Cadmus. For the Moth Genus, see Cilix (moth. In Greek mythology, Cilix ( Greek: Κίλιξ was a son of Europa ( Greek Εὐρώπη was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the Continent Europe In Greek mythology, Telephassa, also known as Argiope, was the wife of Agenor. In Greek mythology, Polydorus referred to several different people In Greek mythology, Agave (or Agaue, English translation: "illustrious" was the daughter of Cadmus, the king and founder of the city In Greek mythology, Autonoë ( Ancient Greek:) was a daughter of Cadmus, founder of Thebes Greece, and the goddess Harmonia. In Greek mythology Ino was a mortal queen of Thebes, the second wife of Athamas, the mother of Learches and Melicertes, daughter of Stimula redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Stimula (butterfly. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal Goddess of harmony and concord In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance Agenor ( Gr, "heroic manly" was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician king of Tyre. Phoenix (Φοῖνιξ in Greek mythology was a son of Agenor and either brother or father to Cadmus. For the Moth Genus, see Cilix (moth. In Greek mythology, Cilix ( Greek: Κίλιξ was a son of Europa ( Greek Εὐρώπη was a Phoenician woman of high lineage in Greek mythology, from whom the name of the Continent Europe ^[2] Cadmus founded the city of Thebes, and its acropolis was originally named Cadmeia in his honor. Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Acropolis (Gr akros akron edge extremity + polis city pl acropoleis The Cadmea, or Cadmeia was the citadel of ancient Thebes Greece, named after the legendary Phoenician founder of Thebes Cadmus. Cadmus was credited by the Hellenes with the introduction of the Phoenician alphabet, phoinikeia grammata. The Phoenician alphabet is a continuation of the Proto-Canaanite alphabet, by convention taken to originate around 1050 BC ^[3] Herodotus who gives this account estimates that Cadmus lived sixteen hundred years before his time, or around 2000 BC. Herodotus of Halicarnassus ( Greek: Hēródotos Halikarnāsseús) was a Greek Historian who lived in the 5th century BC ( 484 BC&ndash ^[4]

According to Greek myth, Cadmus' descendants ruled at Thebes on-and-off for several generations, including the time of the Trojan War. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy stole Helen from her For a discussion of the mythical kings of Thebes, see Theban kings - Greek mythology. The dynastic history of Thebes in Greek mythology is crowded with a bewildering number of kings between the city's new foundation (by Cadmus) and the

Wanderings: Samothrace

Cadmus and the dragon, black-figured amphora from Euboea, ca. An amphora (plural amphorae or amphoras) is a type of Ceramic Vase with two handles and a long neck narrower than the body For the mythological figure see Euboea (mythology Euboea ( Modern Greek, Εύβοια - Évia &mdash  560-550 BC, Louvre (E 707)

After his sister Europa had been carried off by Zeus, Cadmus was sent out to find her, enjoined not to return without her. The Louvre Museum (Musée du Louvre located in Paris is the world's most visited art museum a historic monument and a national museum of France Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology Unsuccessful in his search, he came to Samothrace, the island sacred to the "Great Gods"^[5] and the Kabeiroi, whose mysteries would be celebrated also at Thebes. Samothrace (Σαμοθράκη is an island municipality in Greece, in the northern Aegean Sea. In Greek mythology, the Cabeiri, ( Cabiri, Kabeiroi, Greek: Κάβειροι were a group of enigmatic Chthonic deities Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides At Samothrace, Cadmus was not journeying alone: he appeared with his "far-shining" mother Telephassa^[6] in the company of his brother, who gave his name to the island of Thasos nearby. In Greek mythology, Telephassa, also known as Argiope, was the wife of Agenor. Thasos or Thassos (Θάσος is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea, close to the coast of Thrace and the plain of the river An identically-composed trio had other names at Samothrace, according to Diodorus Siculus:^[7] Elektra and her two sons, Dardanos and Eetion or Iasion. Dardania in Greek mythology is the name of a City founded on Mount Ida by Dardanus from which also the region and the people took their name This article is about the father of Andromache For other usages see Eetion (disambiguation. In Greek mythology, Iasion or Iasus was usually the son of Electra and Zeus and brother of Dardanus. There was a fourth figure, Elektra's daughter, Harmonia. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal Goddess of harmony and concord ^[8] whom Cadmus took away as a bride, as Zeus had absconded with Europa. ^[9] The wedding was the first celebrated on earth to which the gods brought gifts, according to Diodorus^[10] and dined with Cadmus and his bride. ^[11]

Wanderings: the founder of Thebes

He came in the course of his wanderings to Delphi, where he consulted the oracle. Delphi ( Greek,) ( pronounce and dialectal forms) is an archaeological site and a modern town in Greece on the south-western PYTHIA is a computer simulation program for particle collisions at very high energies (see Event (particle physics) in Particle accelerators He was ordered to give up his quest and follow a special cow, with a half moon on her flank, which would meet him, and to build a town on the spot where she should lie down exhausted.

The cow was given to Cadmus by Pelagon, King of Phocis, and it guided him to Boeotia, where he founded the city of Thebes. There are three figures named Pelagon (Πελάγων -όνος in Greek mythology. Phocis ( Greek, Modern: Φωκίδα foˈkiða Ancient / Katharevousa: Φωκίς foˈkis is an ancient district and a modern prefecture Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the Thebes ( Classic Greek Θῆβαι, Mod Θήβα) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range which divides Robert Graves (The Greek Myths) suggested that the cow was actually turned loose within a moderately confined space, and that where she lay down, a temple to the moon-goddess (Selene) was erected: "A cow's strategic and commercial sensibilities are not well developed," Graves remarked. Robert Graves (24 July 1895 &ndash 7 December 1985 was an English Poet, Translator and Novelist. In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη " Moon " English sɛˈliːniː was an archaic Lunar deity and the daughter of the Titans

Intending to sacrifice the cow to Athena, Cadmus sent some of his companions to the nearby Castalian Spring, for water. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN. The Castalian Spring, in the Ravine between the Phaedriades at Delphi, is where all visitors to Delphi &mdash the contestants in the Pythian Games They were slain by the spring's guardian water-dragon (compare the Lernaean Hydra), which was in turn destroyed by Cadmus, the duty of a culture hero of the new order. In Greek mythology, the Lernaean Hydra ( Greek: ( was an ancient nameless serpent -like Chthonic water beast that possessed numerous A culture hero is a Mythological Hero specific to some group ( cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, etc

Cadmus Sowing the Dragon's teeth, by Maxfield Parrish, 1908

By the instructions of Athena, he sowed the Dragon's teeth in the ground, from which there sprang a race of fierce armed men, called Spartes ("sown"). Maxfield Parrish ( July 25, 1870 &ndash March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustrator. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In Greek myth, dragon's teeth feature prominently in the legends of the Phoenician prince Cadmus and Jason 's quest for the Golden Fleece By throwing a stone among them, Cadmus caused them to fall upon one another until only five survived, who assisted him to build the Cadmeia or citadel of Thebes, and became the founders of the noblest families of that city.

The dragon had been sacred to Ares, so the god made Cadmus to do penance for eight years by serving him. In Greek mythology, Ares ( Ancient Greek:, Μodern Greek Άρης) is the son of Zeus and Hera. According to Theban tellings, it was at the expiration of this period that the gods gave him Harmonia as wife. In Greek mythology, Harmonia is the immortal Goddess of harmony and concord At Thebes, Cadmus and Harmonia began a dynasty with a son Polydorus, and four daughters, Agave, Autonoë, Ino and Semele. In Greek mythology, Polydorus referred to several different people In Greek mythology, Agave (or Agaue, English translation: "illustrious" was the daughter of Cadmus, the king and founder of the city In Greek mythology, Autonoë ( Ancient Greek:) was a daughter of Cadmus, founder of Thebes Greece, and the goddess Harmonia. In Greek mythology Ino was a mortal queen of Thebes, the second wife of Athamas, the mother of Learches and Melicertes, daughter of Stimula redirects here For the Genus of Grass skipper Butterflies, see Stimula (butterfly.

At the wedding, whether celebrated at Samothrace or at Thebes, all the gods were present; Harmonia received as bridal gifts a peplos worked by Athena and a necklace made by Hephaestus. A peplos (πέπλος is a body-length Greek garment worn by women in the years before 500 BC. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. This necklace, commonly referred to as the Necklace of Harmonia, brought misfortune to all who possessed it. Notwithstanding the divinely ordained nature of his marriage and his kingdom, Cadmus lived to regret both: his family was overtaken by grievous misfortunes, and his city by civil unrest. Cadmus finally abdicated in favor of his grandson Pentheus, and retired with Harmonia to Illyria, whose inhabitants proclaimed him their king and founded the city of Lychnidos and Bouthoe^[12]. Illyria ( Albanian Iliria ( Ancient Greek; Latin Illyria; see also Illyricum) was in Classical antiquity a region in the Ohrid (Охрид) is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia.

Nevertheless, Cadmus was deeply troubled by the ill-fortune which clung to him as a result of his having killed the sacred dragon, and one day he remarked that if the gods were so enamoured of the life of a serpent, he might as well wish that life for himself. Immediately he began to grow scales and change in form. Harmonia, seeing the transformation, thereupon begged the gods to share her husband's fate, and she did (Hyginus).

Lee Lawrie, Cadmus (1939). Lee Oscar Lawrie ( October 16, 1877 - January 23, 1963) was one of the United States ' foremost architectural Sculptors Library of Congress John Adams Building, Washington, D. The John Adams Building is one of three Library buildings of the Library of Congress in the United States. C.

In another telling of the story, the bodies of Cadmus and his wife were changed after their deaths; the serpents watched their tomb while their souls were translated to the fields.

In Euripides' The Bacchae Cadmus is depicted as being turned into a dragon, or alternatively a serpent, after Dionysus overthrows Thebes. Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus The Bacchae (Βάκχαι / Bakchai; also known as The Bacchantes) is a Athenian Tragedy by the ancient Greek In Classical mythology, Dionysus or Dionysos (in Greek, Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος; associated with Roman

Cadmus as ethnic Greek

In Phoenician, as well as Hebrew, the Semitic root qdm signifies "the east," the Levantine origin of "Kdm" himself, according to the Greek mythographers; the equation of Kadmos with the Semitic qdm was traced to a publication of 1646 by R. The Orient is a term which simply means the " East " It originated in Western Asia to describe that part of the world B. Edwards;^[13] nevertheless, to this day, some in Greece contend that Cadmus was originally a Boeotian,^[14] that is, a wholly Greek autochthonous hero,^[15] and that only in later times, did the story of a Phoenician immigrant of that name become current, to whom was ascribed the introduction of the alphabet, the invention of agriculture and working in bronze and of civilization generally. Boeotia, Beotia, or Bœotia ( Greek: Βοιωτία - English biːˈoʊʃiə formerly Cadmeis was a region of Ancient Greece, north of the An alphabet is a standardized set of letters basic written symbols each of which roughly represents a Phoneme, a Spoken language, either But the name has been thoroughly Hellenised, and the fact that Hermes was worshipped in Samothrace under the name of Cadmus or Cadmilus seems to show that the Theban Cadmus was interpreted as an ancestral Theban hero corresponding to the Samothracian. Hermes ( Greek,, ˈhɝmiːz in Greek mythology, is the Olympian god of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them of Shepherds and Samothrace (Σαμοθράκη is an island municipality in Greece, in the northern Aegean Sea. Another Samothracian connection for Cadmus is offered via his wife Harmonia, who is said in some accounts to be daughter of Zeus and Electra and of Samothracian birth. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology In Greek mythology, Electra ( Greek:Ηλέκτρα was an Argosian princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra

Historical legacy

Al-Qadmūs, Tartus, Syria, is named for Cadmus. Tartus ( طرطوس, also transliterated Tartous) is a city in Syria, the capital of Tartus Governorate.

See also

• Cadmus of Miletus

Footnotes

References

Classical sources:

• Hyginus, Fabulae 178;
• Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke III, i, 1-v, 4;
• Ovid. Gaius Julius Hyginus (ca 64 BC &ndash AD 17 was a Latin author but whether a native of Spain or of Alexandria is not sure a pupil of the famous The Bibliotheca (in English: Library) in three books provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic Legends Publius Ovidius Naso ( March 20, 43 BC – 17 AD was a Roman poet known to the English -speaking world as Ovid who wrote on many topics including Metamorphoses III,1-137; IV, 563-603. The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid is a narrative poem

Secondary material:

• Theoi.com
• Kerenyi, Karl, 1959. One of the founders of modern studies in Greek mythology, Károly (Carl Karl Kerényi ( January 19, 1897 &ndash April 14 1973 The Heroes of the Greeks
• R. B. Edwards, Kadmos, the Phoenician (Amsterdam, 1979)
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Further reading

• Calasso, Roberto (1993). The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony. New York: Knopf. ISBN 0394581547.