Polydorus (son of Cadmus)

Polydorus
Polydorus
King of Autonoë
Consort	Nycteïs
Children	Labdacus

In

Thebes

.

Family

Polydorus was the youngest and only male child of

Agave and Semele.^[2] He was the father of Labdacus^[3] by Nycteïs, the daughter of Nycteus

.

Last of all Harmonia added a little son to the brood of sisters, and made Cadmos happy – Polydoros, the morning star of the Aonian nation, younger than rosy cheek Semele.[4]

Mythology

Upon the death of Cadmus,

Thebes and married Nycteïs.^[6] When their son Labdacus was still young, Polydorus died of unknown causes, entrusting his father-in-law Nycteus to care the infant prince and to be his regent.^[7]

In

Enchelii, but this is the only source for such a timeline.^[8] It is also said that along with the thunderbolt hurled at the bridal chamber of Semele there fell a log from heaven. This log was adorned by Polydorus with bronze and called it Dionysus Cadmus.^[9]

A different account by Diodorus stated that the Thebans were exiled a second time (the first time during the reign of Cadmus) for Polydorus came back and was dissatisfied with the situation because of the misfortunes that had befallen Amphion, the previous king,^[10] in connection with his children.^[11]

Regnal titles
Preceded by Pentheus	King of Thebes	Succeeded by Nycteus

Genealogy

Argive genealogy in Greek mythology

Polydorus

Agave

Autonoë

Colour key:

Male
Female
Deity

Family tree of Theban Royal House

Royal house of Thebes family tree

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 N^th king. Generally this means the regent served the N^th 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.

Lycus

(Regent)

3.
Polydorus

Nycteis

Antiope

Autonoë

Dionysus

2.
Pentheus

Epeiros

4.
Labdacus

5a.
Amphion

5b.
Zethus

Merope

Hipponome

7.
Oedipus

Megara

Heracles

Iphicles

Anaxo

Argea

8a.
Polynices

Pyrrha

Lycus II

A12.
Peneleos (Regent)

10.
Laodamas

Demonassa

11.
Thersander

Opheltes

12.
Tisamenus

14.
Damasichthon

13.
Autesion

15.

Ptolemy

16.
Xanthos

Notes

^ Hesiod, Theogony 978; Apollodorus, 3.4.2; Diodorus Siculus, 4.2.1; Nonnus, Dionysiacca 5.208
^ Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.298
The Anabasis of Alexander 2.16.1; Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 267

^ Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.207 ff.

^ Nonnus, Dionysiaca 46.259

^ Hyginus, Fabulae 76

^ Apollodorus, 3.5.5; Pausanias, 2.6.2 & 9.5.4

^ Pausanias, 9.5.3

^ Pausanias, 9.12.4

^ Diodorus Siculus, 19.53.5 This was contradicting to the stories of Apollodorus because Polydorus had already died when Amphion ruled on Thebes and after Amphion's death Polydorus' grandson Laius reigned after.

^ i.e. the Niobides, slain by Apollo and Artemis to punish their mother Niobê, who had presumed to compare herself with Leto

References

Apollodorus. The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.

Arrian. The Anabasis of Alexander, translated by Edward James Chinnock (d. 1920), from the Hodder and Stoughton edition of 1884.

Diodorus Siculus. The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather (1887–1954), from the Loeb Classical Library edition of 1933.

Euripides. The Phoenissae, translated by E. P. Coleridge. New York. Random House. 1938.

Herodotus. The Histories with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920.

Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Theogony. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.

Hyginus. Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus, translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies, no. 34.

Pausanias. Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.

Sophocles. The Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles. Edited with introduction and notes by Sir Richard Jebb. Sir Richard Jebb. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1887.

William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology vs Polydorus. London. John Murray: printed by Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square and Parliament Street. 1849.

v
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e
Kings of Thebes
Kings

Calydnus

Ogyges

Cadmus

Pentheus

Polydorus

Nycteus (regent for Labdacus) and Lycus I (regent for Labdacus)

Labdacus

Lycus I (regent for Laius)

Laius

Amphion and Zethus

Laius (second rule)

Creon

Oedipus

Creon
(second rule) (regent for Eteocles and Polynices)

Polynices and Eteocles

Creon
(third rule) (regent for Laodamas)

Lycus II (usurper)

Laodamas

Thersander

Peneleos (regent for Tisamenus)

Tisamenus

Autesion

Damasichthon

Ptolemy

Xanthos

In literature

Antigone (Sophocles)

Antigone (Euripides play)

The Bacchae

Herakles

Iliad

Oedipus

Oedipus at Colonus

Oedipus Rex

The Phoenician Women

Seven Against Thebes

La Thébaïde

Related articles

Thebes

Necklace of Harmonia

Category:Theban kings

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[1] Hesiod, Theogony 978; Apollodorus, 3.4.2; Diodorus Siculus, 4.2.1; Nonnus, Dionysiacca 5.208

[2] Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.298

[3] The Anabasis of Alexander 2.16.1; Sophocles, Oedipus Tyrannus 267

[4] Nonnus, Dionysiaca 5.207 ff.

[5] Nonnus, Dionysiaca 46.259

[6] Hyginus, Fabulae 76

[7] Apollodorus, 3.5.5; Pausanias, 2.6.2 & 9.5.4

[8] Pausanias, 9.5.3

[9] Pausanias, 9.12.4

[10] Diodorus Siculus, 19.53.5 This was contradicting to the stories of Apollodorus because Polydorus had already died when Amphion ruled on Thebes and after Amphion's death Polydorus' grandson Laius reigned after.

[11] i.e. the Niobides, slain by Apollo and Artemis to punish their mother Niobê, who had presumed to compare herself with Leto

[2]

[3]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]