550
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
new article
In [[Greek mythology]], Cadmus was the son of [[Agenor]], king of [[Phoenicia]].
After [[Zeus]] had taken away [[Europa]], the daughter of Agenor, he sent his sons to search for her and forbade them to return without her. Unable to find her, Cadmus travelled to [[Greece]] and asked the Oracle of Delphi where he could found a new city and was told to follow the first cow he would meet. Cadmus followed the advice and the first cow he met led him to Boeotia. He sent his men to fetch water for a sacrifice from a nearby grove but they were all killed by a dragon sacred to [[Ares]]. Cadmus went to search for them and meeting the dragon, killed it with a javelin. He was advised by Athena to sow the dragon's teeth and from the ground grew a group of armed who began to fight amongst themselves until only five were left who submitted to the service of Cadmus. With their help he founded the city of [[Thebes]].
Cadmus eventually married Harmonia, the daughter of [[Hephaestus]] and they had four daughters named Autonoe, [[Ino]], [[Semele]] and [[Agave]] and one son named Polydorus. Following the deaths of his children Ino and Semele and his grandchildren [[Actaeon]] and [[Pentheus]], Cadmus and Harmonia left Thebes for exile in Illyria. The Encheleans chose Cadmus as their leader in their war against the Illyrians and achieved victory. Cadmus then reigned over the Illyrians and had a son named Illyrius. One day, when he grieved that the misfortunes of his house were due the dragon he had killed and wished that he was a serpent himself, after which he immediately transformed into a serpent along with Harmonia They were eventually taken to the [[Elysian Fields]] by Zeus.
== References ==
Apollodorus. The Library.
Ovid. Metamorphoses.
After [[Zeus]] had taken away [[Europa]], the daughter of Agenor, he sent his sons to search for her and forbade them to return without her. Unable to find her, Cadmus travelled to [[Greece]] and asked the Oracle of Delphi where he could found a new city and was told to follow the first cow he would meet. Cadmus followed the advice and the first cow he met led him to Boeotia. He sent his men to fetch water for a sacrifice from a nearby grove but they were all killed by a dragon sacred to [[Ares]]. Cadmus went to search for them and meeting the dragon, killed it with a javelin. He was advised by Athena to sow the dragon's teeth and from the ground grew a group of armed who began to fight amongst themselves until only five were left who submitted to the service of Cadmus. With their help he founded the city of [[Thebes]].
Cadmus eventually married Harmonia, the daughter of [[Hephaestus]] and they had four daughters named Autonoe, [[Ino]], [[Semele]] and [[Agave]] and one son named Polydorus. Following the deaths of his children Ino and Semele and his grandchildren [[Actaeon]] and [[Pentheus]], Cadmus and Harmonia left Thebes for exile in Illyria. The Encheleans chose Cadmus as their leader in their war against the Illyrians and achieved victory. Cadmus then reigned over the Illyrians and had a son named Illyrius. One day, when he grieved that the misfortunes of his house were due the dragon he had killed and wished that he was a serpent himself, after which he immediately transformed into a serpent along with Harmonia They were eventually taken to the [[Elysian Fields]] by Zeus.
== References ==
Apollodorus. The Library.
Ovid. Metamorphoses.