View source for Lycus (Thebes)

{{Short description|Greek mythological Theban king}}
{{Other uses|Lycus (mythology)}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Lycus''' or '''Lykos''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|l|aɪ|k|ə|s}} {{respell|LY|kəs}}; {{Langx|grc|Λύκος|Lúkos|wolf}}) was a ruler of the ancient city of [[Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)]]. His rule was preceded by the regency of [[Nycteus]] and in turn, Lycus was succeeded by the twins [[Amphion and Zethus]].

==Family==

Lycus and his brother [[Nycteus]] were the sons of either (1) [[Chthonius]], one of the [[Spartoi]];<ref name="Apollodorus. Library, 3.5.5">[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 3.5.5</ref> or (2) of the [[Clonia (nymph)|nymph Clonia]] and [[Hyrieus]], the son of [[Poseidon]] and the [[Pleiades (Greek mythology)|Atlantid]] [[Alcyone (Pleiad)|Alkyone]];<ref>Apollodorus, 3.10.1</ref> or lastly (3) of Poseidon and the Pleiad [[Celaeno]].<ref>Tripp, Edward.  "Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology."  New York, Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1970, p. 351.</ref> He was married to [[Dirce]] and possibly by her, the father of another [[Lycus of Euboea|Lycus]].<ref>[[Euripides]], ''[[Heracles]]'' 54</ref> Lycus was the uncle of [[Antiope (mother of Amphion)|Antiope]], daughter of Nycteus.

==Mythology==
Lycus and Nycteus fled from [[Euboea]] after they murdered King [[Phlegyas]], settling in [[Hyria (Boeotia)|Hyria]] and then moving to [[Ancient Thebes (Boeotia)|Thebes]], because they were friends with [[Pentheus]], its king.<ref>Apollodorus, 3.5</ref>

Pentheus's successor was [[Polydorus (son of Cadmus)|Polydorus]], who married Nycteis, the daughter of Nycteus.  Nycteus served as [[regent]] for [[Labdacus]], the son of Polydorus, when Polydorus died at a young age.  Nycteus's daughter, [[Antiope (mother of Amphion)|Antiope]], was impregnated by [[Zeus]], and fled to Sicyon to marry King [[Epopeus]].

[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] writes that Nycteus waged war on Epopeus, but in battle was wounded, and died after being carried back to Thebes, appointing Lycus as regent for Labdacus.  Nycteus urged Lycus to continue to attack Epopeus, and to retake and punish Antiope.  Epopeus died of a wound just as Nycteus did, and his heir [[Lamedon (mythology)|Lamedon]] gave Antiope up freely to avoid war.<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], 2.6.3</ref>

The author of the ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', however, writes that  Lycus was the one chosen regent after the deaths of Pentheus and Labdacus.  Nycteus killed himself from shame when he discovered Antiope's pregnancy, and Lycus initiated the attack because he himself desired to punish her, successfully carrying her off after the battle.<ref name="Apollodorus. Library, 3.5.5"/>

In either case, Antiope gave birth to the twins [[Amphion and Zethus]] on the way back to Thebes, at [[Mount Cithaeron]].  Lycus abandoned the babies, leaving them with shepherds.

Once he returned to Thebes, Lycus gained custody of his niece Antiope. She was given over by Lycus to Dirce who took her away, locked her up and tortured her cruelly. After many years, Antiope escaped and found her sons who vowed to reap revenge for what Lycus and Dirce did to their mother for all those years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lycus|title=Lycus {{!}} Greek mythology|work=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2018-11-05|language=en}}</ref> Eventually, they returned to Thebes to kill Lycus and Dirce and take command of the city.<ref>Pausanias, 9.5</ref> According to Euripides, [[Hermes]] forbade the twins from killing Lycus, although he forced Lycus to give them Thebes.<ref>{{Cite book|last=[[Timothy Gantz|Gantz, Timothy]]|title=Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Ancient Sources|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|year=1993|isbn=0-8018-4410-X|location=The Johns Hopkins Press Ltd., London|pages=485}}</ref>

{{s-start}}
{{s-reg}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Nycteus]]
| title = [[Theban kings in Greek mythology|Regent of Thebes]]
| after = [[Labdacus]]
| years = (first regency)
}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Labdacus]]
| title = [[Theban kings in Greek mythology|King of Thebes]]
| after = [[Amphion and Zethus]]
| years = (second regency)
}}
{{s-end}}

== Theban royal family tree ==
{{Family tree of the Theban royal house}}

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|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. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
* [[Timothy Gantz|Gantz, Timothy]], ''Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources'', Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, Two volumes: {{ISBN|978-0-8018-5360-9}} (Vol. 1), {{ISBN|978-0-8018-5362-3}} (Vol. 2).
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|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. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* Tripp, Edward, ''Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology'', Thomas Y. Crowell Co; First edition (June 1970). {{ISBN|069022608X}}.
{{Theban Kings}}

[[Category:Theban kings]]
[[Category:Kings in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Children of Poseidon]]
[[Category:Mythological Thebans]]