Eurotas (King of Sparta)
Eurotas ( Greek Εὐρώτας ) is a figure in Greek mythology . He was a legendary early king of Sparta and Laconia .
According to Pausanias , Eurotas was a son of the laconic king Myles and grandson of Lelex . He followed his father to the throne and built a canal to the sea to drain the laconic plain. After the water drained away, a river remained, which he named Eurotas after himself . Leaving no male offspring, Lakedaimon , husband of Eurotas' daughter Sparte , became king of Sparta. In a similar story by Euripides - Scholion it is also mentioned that Eurotas' mother was Teledike and his wife was called Klete.
In the library of Apollodorus , which offers only one stemma, Eurotas is listed as the son of Lelex and Naiade Kleochareia .
According to Pseudo-Plutarch , Sparta waged a war against Athens under the rule of Eurotas . Although the full moon had to be awaited for the decisive battle, Eurotas ignored heavenly warning signs such as thunder and lightning and forced the fight to take place, but lost its entire army in the process. Thereupon he threw himself into the river Himeros, which was named after him Eurotas.
Presumably, Eurotas was originally a river god, whom later rational reinterpretations made an early laconic king.
literature
- Karl Tümpel : Eurotas 3). In: Paulys Realencyclopadie der classischen Antiquity Science (RE). Volume VI, 1, Stuttgart 1907, column 1316.
Remarks
- ^ Pausanias, Journeys in Greece 3, 1, 1-2.
- ↑ Scholion to Euripides , Orestes 626.
- ↑ Apollodor, Libraries 3, 10, 3, 1 § 116.
- ^ Pseudo-Plutarch, De fluviis 17.
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Myles |
King of Sparta 15th century BC Chr. (Fictional chronology) |
Lacedaemon |