Phoroneus
Character in Greek mythology
title: "Phoroneus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["children-of-inachus", "deeds-of-zeus", "greek-mythological-heroes", "kings-in-greek-mythology", "kings-of-argos", "mythological-argives", "mythology-of-argos,-peloponnese", "princes-in-greek-mythology"] description: "Character in Greek mythology" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoroneus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Character in Greek mythology ::
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Andrea_e_nino_pisano,_phoroneus_ossia_la_legislazione,_1348-50,_dal_lato_sud_del_campanile_03.JPG" caption="Relief from [[Giotto's Campanile]], depicting Phoroneus as the man who invented law." alt="Phoroneus"] ::
In Greek mythology, Phoroneus (; Ancient Greek: Φορωνεύς means 'bringer of a price') was a culture-hero of the Argolid, fire-bringer, law giver, and primordial king of Argos.
Family
Phoroneus was the son of the river god Inachus and either Melia, the Oceanid or Argia, the embodiment of the Argolid itself: "Inachus, son of Oceanus, begat Phoroneus by his sister Argia".
He was said to have been married to Cinna; or Cerdo, a nymph; or Teledice, also a nymph; or Perimede; or Peitho, and to have fathered a number of children including Apis, Car, Chthonia, Clymenus, Sparton, Lyrcus and Europs, an illegitimate son. An unnamed daughter of his is said to have consorted with Hecaterus and thus became the mother of the five Hecaterides, nymphs of the rustic dance.
In Argive culture, Niobe is associated with Phoroneus, sometimes as his mother, sometimes as his daughter, or as his consort (Kerenyi). According to Hellanicus of Lesbos, Phoroneus had at least three sons: Agenor, Jasus and Pelasgus. After the death of Phoroneus, the two elder brothers divided his dominions, Pelasgus received the country about the river Erasmus, and built Larissa, and Iasus the country about Elis. After the death of these two, Agenor, the youngest, invaded their dominions, and thus became king of Argos.
The Clementine Recognitions mentions Phthia, a daughter of Phoroneus, who became the mother of Achaeus by Zeus. ::data[format=table title="Comparative table of Phoroneus' family"]
| Relation | Names | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Hellanicus | Σ ad Pindar | Σ ad Euripides |
| Parents | Inachus | |
| Inachus and Melia | ||
| Inachus and Argia | ||
| Wife | Perimede | |
| Peitho | ||
| Teledice | ||
| Cerdo | ||
| Cinna | ||
| Children | Agenor | ✓ |
| Jasus | ✓ | |
| Pelasgus | ✓ | |
| Aegialeus | ||
| Apis | ||
| Niobe or Nioba | ||
| Lyrcus | ||
| wife of Hecaterus | ||
| Car | ||
| Europs | ||
| Chthonia | ||
| Clymenus | ||
| Sparton | ||
| Phthia | ||
| :: |
Reign
Hyginus' genealogy expresses the position of Phoroneus as one of the primordial men, whose local identities differed in the various regions of Greece, and who had for a mother the essential spirit of the very earth of Argos herself, Argia. He was the primordial king in the Peloponnesus, authorized by Zeus: "Formerly Zeus himself had ruled over men, but Hermes created a confusion of human speech, which spoiled Zeus' pleasure in this Rule". Phoroneus introduced both the worship of Hera and the use of fire and the forge. Poseidon and Hera had vied for the Argive when the primeval waters had receded, Phoroneus "was the first to gather the people together into a community; for they had up to then been living as scattered and lonesome families". (Pausanias).
Phoroneus' successor was Argus, who was Niobe's son, either by Zeus or Phoroneus himself. He was also the father of Apis, who may have also ruled Argos (according to Tatiānus). He was worshipped in Argos with an eternal fire that was shown to Pausanias in the 2nd century CE, and funeral sacrifices were offered to him at his tomb-sanctuary. He is also credited as the founder of law. | title=King of Argos | years= | before=Inachus | after=Apis ::data[format=table]
| PHORONEUS' CHRONOLOGY OF REIGN ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES | Kings of Argos | Regnal Years | Castor | Regnal Years | Syncellus | Regnal Years | Apollodorus | Hyginus | Tatian | Pausanias |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precessor | 1677 | 50 winters & summers | Inachus | 1677.5**56 winters & summers | Inachus | 1675 | Inachus | -do- | -do- | -do- |
| Phoroneus | 1652 | 60 winters & summers | Phoroneus | 1649.5 | 60 winters & summers | Phoroneus | 1650 | Phoroneus | -do- | -do- |
| Successor | 1622 | 35 winters & summers | Apis | 1619.5 | 35 winters & summers | Apis1625 | Apis-do--do- | -do- | ||
| :: |
Argive genealogy
Notes
References
- 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.
- 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.
- Parthenius, Love Romances translated by Sir Stephen Gaselee (1882-1943), S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 69. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1916. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Parthenius, Erotici Scriptores Graeci, Vol. 1. Rudolf Hercher. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1858. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. 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 theio.com
- 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
- Graves, Robert. (1960). "The Greek Myths". Penguin Books.
- [[Pausanias (geographer)
- [[Clement of Alexandria]], [[Protrepticus (Clement). protrepticus]] [https://archive.org/details/clementofalexand00clem/page/232/mode/2up p. 233]
- [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus). Tzetzes]] ad [[Lycophron]], 177.
- [[Gaius Julius Hyginus. Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#143 143]
- The Argive myth was reported to [[Pausanias (geographer)
- Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#145 145]
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.21.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 2.21.1]
- Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+2.1.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Teledice 2.1.1]; Tzetzes ad Lycophron, 177.
- Scholia ad [[Pindar]], ''Olympian Ode'' [https://archive.org/details/scholiaveterain00dracgoog/page/112/mode/1up?view=theater 3.28a]
- Scholia ad Euripides, ''Orestes'' [https://archive.org/details/scholiaineuripi00schwgoog/page/n229/mode/1up?view=theater 932]
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.39.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Phoroneus 1.39.5]–[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.39.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Phoroneus 6]; [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.40.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Phoroneus 1.40.6] & [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.44.6&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Phoroneus 1.44.6]
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.35.4&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 2.35.4]
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.16.4&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 2.16.4]
- [[Parthenius of Nicaea. Parthenius]], [https://topostext.org/work/550#1 1] with sources— ''Lyrcus'' of [[Nicaenetus of Samos. Nicaenetus]] and the ''Caunus'' of [[Apollonius of Rhodes. Apollonius Rhodius]]
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.34.4&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 2.34.4]
- [[Strabo]], 10.3.19
- [[Hellanicus of Lesbos]], ''Fragm.'' p. 47, ed. Sturz.
- Schmitz, Leonhard. (1867). "[[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]". [[Little, Brown and Company]].
- [[Pseudo-Clement]], ''[[Clementine Recognitions. Recognitions]]'' 10.21
- In the Argolid, of course, he displaced Prometheus as ''the'' primordial fire-giver and the originator of kingship (Yves Bonnefoy and Wendy Doniger, eds. ''Greek and Egyptian Mythologies'', "Myths of Argos and Athens" [University of Chicago 1992:124]).
- See [[Karl Kerenyi]], ''The Gods of the Greeks'', 1951 (1980), p. 222, for other primordial men: [[Prometheus]] and [[Epimetheus (mythology). Epimetheus]], and, in [[Boeotia]], Alkomeneus.
- Karl Kerenyi, ''The Gods of the Greeks'' 1951 (1980), p. 222.
- Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#143 143]. Compare [[Prometheus]].
- James Cowles Prichard : ''An Analysis of the Egyptian Mythology''. 1819. p. 85
- Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+2.30.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 2.20.3]
- [[Protrepticus (Clement). Protrepticus]]
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