Likymnios (son of Electryon)

Likymnios ( ancient Greek Λικύμνιος ) is in Greek mythology the son of King Electryon , who ruled over Mycenae (or Midea ) and was begotten with Mideia . He is therefore half-brother of Alcmene , the daughter of Elektryon with Anaxo , and as such an uncle of Heracles .

When the Taphians demanded rule over Mycenae under King Pterelaus and the fight for the cattle of Elektryon came, only Likymnius, who was too young to fight, survived of his sons. After the unfortunate death of Electryon at Amphitryon's hand , Likymnius, Alkmene and Amphitryon move to Thebes to see King Creon , where Likymnios marries Perimede , Amphitryon's sister. From this connection come the sons of Oionos , winners during the Olympic Games organized by Herakles , Argeios and Melas . Argeios and Melas were taken by Heracles on the train against Eurytus and fell there in battle. Argeios is said to have accompanied Herakles on his journey to Troy after Heracles had promised his uncle to bring him home safely. However, Argeios fell before Troy, whereupon Heracles burned his body and brought the ashes back to Likymnius to keep his promise.

When Heracles leaves Thebes, Likymnius accompanies him to Tiryns to see King Eurystheus , for whom Heracles fulfills his twelve duties. When Heracles slowly burns under the garment of Deïaneira , Likymnios asks the Pythia for advice and brings Heracles the last tasks to be done before his redemption. After the death of the hero, who has been placed under the gods, Likymnios and his children suffer the fate of the Heraclus , he has to leave Tiryns, for whose castle Likymna he was an eponymous hero , and finally becomes - after stays first in Trachis , then in Athens and the following Participation in the first procession of the Heraclides - taken in Argos . In his company was also Tlepolemus , a son of Heracles. In an argument or by mistake, he killed Likymnios, who was now old, when he came out of his mother Mideia's chambers.

Pausanias saw the grave of Likymnios in Argos, near which Pyrrhus I fell from his horse shortly before his death. Based on the material, Euripides created a lost tragedy Likymnius and Aristophanes mentions a Likymnius by the tragedian Xenocles .

literature

• Otto Jessen : Likymnios . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 2.2, Leipzig 1897, Col. 2047 f. ( Digitized version ).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Scholion zu Pindar , Olympic Odes 7:46; 49-50; 52; Libraries of Apollodorus 2, 4, 5; Johannes Tzetzes , ad Lycophronem 932.
2. ^ Pindar, Olympic Odes 7, 50-52.
3. ↑ Homer , Iliad 2, 662.
4. ↑ Libraries of Apollodorus 2, 4, 6.
5. ↑ Libraries of Apollodorus 2, 4, 6.
6. ^ Pindar, Olympic Odes 10, 65.
7. ^ Libraries of Apollodorus 2, 7, 7.
8. ↑ Scholion to Homer, Iliad 1:52.
9. ↑ Diodorus 4, 38, 2.
10. ↑ Strabon 8, 6, 11.
11. ↑ Diodorus 4, 57, 3--4, 58, 5.
12. ↑ Pindar, Olympic Odes 7, 46 and 49; Diodorus 4, 58, 7.
13. ↑ Scholion zu Pindar, Olympic Odes 7:46; Scholion to Homer, Iliad 2, 662; Libraries of Apollodorus 2, 8, 2.
14. ^ Pausanias 2:22 , 8.
15. ↑ Plutarch , Pyrrhos 34.
16. ↑ Aristophanes, The Clouds 1264 f.