Phorbas (king of Argos)
In Greek mythology, Phorbas[pronunciation?] (Ancient Greek: Φόρβας, gen. Φόρβαντος) or Phorbaceus[pronunciation?] was the sixth king of Argos.[1]
Family
[edit]Phorbas was given two different parentage and progeny by various sources. According to scholia on Euripides, his parents were Criasus and Melantho (Melantomice[2]), brother of Ereuthalion and Cleoboea and father of Arestor and Triopas by Euboea.[3] While Pausanias stated that Phorbas was the son of Argus, brother of Peirasus and possibly Tiryns and Epidaurus as they were sons of Argus.[4] His mother in the latter case maybe Evadne, daughter of river god Strymon. In which case, both authors agree that he had a son Triopas who also became a king after him. Another son, Pellen (Pelles) was credited to be the founder of the city of Pellene in Achaea.[5]
| Relation | Names | Sources | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euripides | Pausanias | ||
| Sch. on PW | |||
| Parents | Criasus and Melantho | ✓ | |
| Argus | ✓ | ||
| Sibling | Ereuthalion | ✓ | |
| Cleoboea | ✓ | ||
| Peirasus | ✓ | ||
| Tiryns | ✓ | ||
| Epidaurus | ✓ | ||
| Wife | Euboea | ✓ | |
| Children | Arestor | ✓ | |
| Triopas | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Pellen | ✓ | ||
Reign
[edit]According to Tatiānus, he may have been a king of Argos himself, succeeding either Argus or Criasus.[6] Eusebius included him in the list of kings of Argos, in which he reigned for thirty five years and was succeeded by Triopas. He was a contemporary of Actaeus, the first king of Attica who named the country after himself, Actaea.[7] During Phorbas' reign, Cecrops Diphyes became the first king of the Athenians.[8]
| PHORBAS' CHRONOLOGY OF REIGN ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings of Argos | Regnal Years | Castor | Regnal Years | Syncellus | Regnal Years | Tatian | Regnal Years | Pausanias | ||
| Precessor | 1569.5 | 54 winters & summers | Criasus | 1567 | 54 winters & summers | Criasus | 1575 | Criasus | 1600 | Argus |
| Phorbas | 1542.5 | 35 winters & summers | Phorbas | 1539.5 | 25 winters & summers | Phorbas | 1550 | Phorbas | 1575 | Phorbas |
| Successor | 1525 | 46 winters & summers | Triopas | 1527 | 36 winters & summers | Triopas | 1525 | Triopas | 1550 | Triopas |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Augustine, City of God 18.8; Eusebius, Chronography 66; Tatian, Address to the Greeks 39
- ^ Augustine, City of God 18.8
- ^ Scholia ad Euripides, Phoenician Women 1116; ad Orestes 932
- ^ Pausanias, 2.16.1
- ^ Apollonius Rhodius, 1.176; Pausanias, 7.26.12
- ^ Tatian, Address to the Greeks 39
- ^ Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel 10.11.2
- ^ Eusebius, Chronography 66
References
[edit]- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica translated by Robert Cooper Seaton (1853-1915), R. C. Loeb Classical Library Volume 001. London, William Heinemann Ltd, 1912. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica. George W. Mooney. London. Longmans, Green. 1912. 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. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- William Smith. A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology s.v. Phorbas