Tydeus
Tydeus ( Greek Τυδεύς Tydeús ) is in Greek mythology the son of Oineus , king of Kalydon , and father of Diomedes . Periboia , the second wife of Oineus, is usually mentioned as his mother . Other traditions give Gorge or Althaia as the mother.
Murder and escape
Because of a murder he committed, his father drove him out of the country. Who he murdered is given very differently:
- Alkathoos , Leukopeus or Melas , one of his father's brothers,
- Thoas or Aphareus , one of his mother's brothers,
- Olenias, his brother or
- the sons of Melas.
So he fled and came to King Adrastus in Argos . This cleaned him of the murder and took him in.
wedding
One night Polynices to Argos after it from his brother Eteocles for control of Thebes had been brought. Tydeus thought he was an attacker and attacked him. Adrastos, who had woken up in the meantime, came over and separated the two. Now he understood the oracle according to which he should marry his daughters to a lion and a bear, for Polynices wore a lion skin and Tydeus a bear skin . Tydeus married Deipyle and had a son named Diomedes with her .
Seven against Thebes
Tydeus was one of the seven generals in the campaign against Thebes . Before attacking the city, Tydeus was sent to Thebes to demand the voluntary surrender of the city. But this was rejected by Eteocles. Tydeus challenged various Thebans to fight, defeated and killed them before returning to the army. On the way back, 50 enemies lay in wait for him , all of whom he killed except Maion . In the following fight Tydeus faced Melanippus and both wounded each other seriously. Athena wanted to save Tydeus and asked Zeus for a cure that would give him immortality. But Amphiaraos , who hated Tydeus, cut off the head of Melanippus, brought it to Tydeus and the latter slurped the brain out of the skull. When Athena saw this, she was disgusted and abandoned her plan. Hence Tydeus died too. He was buried by Maion in front of the city wall.
swell
- Library of Apollodorus , 1, 75 - 77; 3, 58-68; 3, 75-76; 3, 82; 3, 129; 6, 12.
- Herodotus , Histories , 5, 67.
- Hesiod , Eoien , 10, 55-57.
- Hyginus Mythographus , Fabulae , 69; 70.
- Pausanias , travels in Greece , 3, 18, 12; 9, 18, 1-2; 10, 10, 3.
- Virgil , Aeneid , 6, 479.
literature
Johannes Schmidt : Tydeus . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 5, Leipzig 1924, Sp. 1388-1404 ( digitized version ).
