Epaphus

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title: "Epaphus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mythological-city-founders", "sons-of-zeus", "kings-of-egypt-in-greek-mythology", "kings-in-greek-mythology", "egyptian-characters-in-greek-mythology", "pharaohs-of-the-fifteenth-dynasty-of-egypt", "16th-century-bc-pharaohs"] description: "Figure in Greek mythology" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epaphus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Figure in Greek mythology ::

In Greek mythology, Epaphus (; ), also called Apis was a son of Zeus and king of Egypt.

Family

Epaphus was the son of Zeus and Io and thus, Ceroessa's brother. With his wife, Memphis (or according to others, Cassiopeia), he had one daughter, Libya while some accounts added another one who bore the name Lysianassa. These daughters later became mothers of Poseidon's sons, Belus, Agenor and possibly, Lelex with the former while Busiris was born to the latter. Through these daughters, Epaphus was the ancestor of the "dark Libyans, and high-souled Aethiopians, and the Underground-folk and feeble Pygmies".

In one account, Epaphus had a son, Dorus, who fathered Pygmaeus, ancestor of the Pygmies. Otherwise, this tribe of diminutive men was instead born from Epaphus and Gaea (Earth).

Mythology

Birth

The name/word Epaphus means "Touch". This refers to the manner in which he was conceived, by the touch of Zeus' hand. He was born in Euboea, in the cave Boösaule according to Strabo or according to others, in Egypt, on the river Nile, after the long wanderings of his mother. He was then concealed by the Curetes, by the request of Hera, but Io sought and afterward found him in Syria where he was nursed by the wife of the king of Byblus.

Phaethon

Epaphus was also a contemporary and the rival of Phaethon, son of Helios and Clymene. He criticized his heraldry saying, "Poor, demented fellow, what will you not credit if your mother speaks, you are so puffed up with the fond conceit of your imagined sire, the Lord of Day." This prompted Phaethon to undertake his fateful journey in his father's chariot of the sun.

Reign and death

Epaphus is regarded in the myths as the founder of Memphis, Egypt. Hera being envious that her husband's bastard ruled such a great kingdom, saw to it that Epaphus should be killed while hunting.

David Rohl identifies Epaphus with the Hyksos pharaoh Apophis.

Argive genealogy

Notes

References

• Aeschylus, translated in two volumes. 2. Suppliant Women by Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph.D. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Aeschylus, translated in two volumes. 1. Prometheus Bound by Herbert Weir Smyth, Ph.D. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1926. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• 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. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Euripides, The Complete Greek Drama, edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. in two volumes. 2. Phoenissae, translated by Robert Potter. New York. Random House. 1938. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 3. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Herodotus, The Histories with an English translation by A. D. Godley. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1920. Online version at the Topos Text Project. Greek text available at Perseus Digital Library.
• Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca. 3 Vols. W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940–1942. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pseudo-Clement, Recognitions from Ante-Nicene Library Volume 8*,* translated by Smith, Rev. Thomas. T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh. 1867. Online version at theoi.com
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid translated by John Henry Mozley. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid. Vol I-II. John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Strabo, The Geography of Strabo. Edition by H.L. Jones. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Strabo, Geographica edited by A. Meineke. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

References

1. [[Herodotus]], 3.27.
2. [[Hesiod]], ''[[Catalogue of Women. Ehoiai]]'' 40a as cited in ''[[Oxyrhynchus Papyri]] 1358'' fr. 2
3. [[Euripides]], ''[[The Phoenician Women. Phoenissae]]'' 678; ''Oedipus'' 1.638–689; [[Aeschylus]], ''[[The Suppliants (Aeschylus). Suppliant Women]]'' 48; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus). Hyginus]], ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#155 155]; [[Nonnus]], 3.284–285.
4. Nonnus, 32.70.
5. Apollodorus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.1.4 2.1.4].
6. Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#149 149].
7. [[Pausanias (geographer). Solinus]], ''Polyhistor'' [https://topostext.org/work/747#24.1 24.1]; [[John Tzetzes. Tzetzes]] ad [[Lycophron]], 649; [[Scholia]] ad [[Euripides]], ''[[The Phoenician Women
8. Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+2.5.11&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%20:book=0:chapter=0&highlight=Epaphus 2.5.11].
9. [[Stephanus of Byzantium]], s.v. ''Pygmaioi (Πυγμαῖοι)''
10. Hesiod, ''[[Catalogue of Women]]'' fr. 40A.
11. Aeschylus, ''Suppliant Women'' 315; Aeschylus, ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'' 850–852.
12. [[Strabo]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D10%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D3 10.1.3].
13. Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#145 145].
14. Apollodorus, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.1.3 2.1.3].
15. Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' 1.749–743.
16. Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#149 149] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#275 275].
17. [[Statius]], ''[[Thebaid (Latin poem). Thebaid]]'' 7.186.
18. Hyginus, ''[[Fabulae]]'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#150 150].
19. David Rohl: ''The Lords of Avaris''. London, Arrow Books 2007.

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