Cadmus

In Greek mythology, Cadmus (in ancient Greek, Κάδμος) was the son of Telephasa and Agénor, brother therefore of Phoenix, Cilix and Europa. He is a character of relative importance for being the founder of Cadmea, which would later become the famous Thebes. Cadmus is credited with introducing the alphabet to Greece, as well as the plow, metal smelting, and agriculture. He also introduced the cult of the Egyptian and Phoenician gods.

Summary

[ disguise ]

• 1 Mythical career
• 2 Foundation of Thebes
• 3 The Curse of Cadmus
• 4 Offspring
• 5 Sources

Mythical career

Cadmus was the younger brother of Cilix and Phoenix , as well as Europa, who was kidnapped by Zeus transformed into a bull. With his brothers and his mother Telefasa, who was pregnant, he set out in search of her sister by order of Agénor, with orders not to return to the kingdom, under penalty of death, without first having found Europa. All together they began a long sea journey westward, following the direction the bull had taken.

Phoenix was the first to abandon the search and founded his kingdom next to his father’s and called it Phenicia, currently Lebanon. Following the coast, they continued north up the Antitauros mountains, and Cilix, the eldest, exhausted, asked his mother to abandon the trip and stay with him there. She refused, continuing the search.

A little later Telephasa died giving birth to Phineus and Cilix abandoned the trip and founded Cilicia between the coast and the Antitaurus mountains in Antioch. Cadmus crossed the continent and arrived at Delphi, because he wanted to consult the oracle of Apollo.

Founding of Thebes

The oracle spoke to him like this: «Cover your eyes Cadmus and go out through any door, take the direction to which that door leads you and when you see a cow with the moon on its face, follow it without ceasing until it stops its path. Then found your house Cadmus, because that will be your land. Cadmus was confused by this response, because what he wanted was to find his sister Europa.

As the oracle had instructed him, he covered his eyes and with the help of his right hand, he felt his way through Delphi and by chance he came upon the door that led south, in the direction of Boeotia. Cadmus went out through it and in fact a cow came across him with a spot on its face that was the same as a painted moon with its horns facing down. He followed her without rest, because the cow did not stop walking for three days, and her court that followed him was languishing exhausted. The cow finally died of exhaustion and Cadmus knew that this was his land and there he would found his nation.

Once the cow was dead, he wanted to dedicate a Hecatomb to the gods. She saw a nearby fountain and told her men to bring water. But a dragon killed some. Cadmus killed the dragon and Ares, the owner of the beast, became angry. But Zeus, who had kidnapped Europa, appeased him. Zeus, to favor Cadmus, sent Athena with a message.

The goddess told him: «Plant the dragon’s teeth tonight and you will see hundreds of fierce warriors born from them, but hide from them because they will kill you. As soon as they are born, they will kill each other. When they are few and tired, fight with them and defeat some. If you do it this way you will have at your mercy the best and most faithful warriors you can dream of.

Cadmus did as he was told. He sacrificed the cow to the gods as he had planned and when night came with his right hand he planted the tusks. The earth immediately broke and the Spartoi were born from it. Just as Athena had announced, as soon as they were born they began to fight, killing each other. When there were few and weak left, Cadmus appeared and fought against some, defeating only two: Cthonius and Echion, who would become his best men and most faithful companions.

He founded Cadmea, in Thebes, a region inhabited by the Hyanthians, who challenged Cadmus. But the Hyanthus were lazy and quite careless, while Cadmus was cultured and knew how to fight very well, so he was able to defeat them without difficulty. The defeated decided to emigrate to Mount Parthenius.

The Curse of Cadmus

Later he took Harmonia or Hermione, daughter of Venus and Mars, as his wife. She was the goddess of harmony and concord: her equivalent in Roman mythology was Concord. This union had the most promising beginnings. Cadmus enjoyed seeing himself as the son-in-law of two great divinities, the father of four beautiful and seductive daughters – Ino, Agave, Autonoe and Semelé. Furthermore, he was the supreme leader of an addicted and submissive people.

But Juno did not welcome such happiness. Jealous as she was, could she forget that Cadmus was the brother of Europa, one of her rivals? For this reason she did not give herself a rest until she had tarnished the prince’s joy, heaping on him all kinds of sorrows.

Actaeon, his grandson, who was a skilled hunter, was torn to pieces by his own dogs for violating the principles of the hunting goddess Diana; Semelé perished victim of the fiery glare of Jupiter’s rays; Pentheus, son of Agave, was torn to pieces by the Bacchae; Ino, seized by madness, rushed into the sea; To a great deal of misfortune, the people of Thebes rebelled against Cadmus, his authority was despised and after having been expelled from Thebes he was forced to seek, together with his wife, a very remote refuge in Illyria. . Both overwhelmed by the passing of the years, they begged the gods to put an end to their evils and were turned into snakes.

It is said that Cadmus was the one who accompanied Zeus into hell, which according to other sources Dionysus or Heracles would have done.[citation needed] It is also said that Cadmus was the one who sewed Zeus’ tendons that Typhon had stolen, when he was guarded by the serpent Delfine. The same is said of Hermes and Heracles.

Offspring

From Harmonía he had Agave, promised to Echion. From Echion and Agave Nicteis was born. From Harmonia and Cadmus, Polydorus was born, who married Nicteis. From Cadmus and Harmonia, Ino was also born, married to Atamas, king of Megara. Other daughters of Harmonia and Cadmus were Autonoe, Semele and Illyria. Autonoe married Aristaeus, son of Apollo