Mythology - city ​​establishment

  • CADMUS

    Cadmus according to mythology, was the founder of Thebes

    He was the son of King Agenor of Phoenicia and Telephassa.  He  had  three brothers Phoenix , Cilix,   Thassos,  Phineas and a sister Europe

    When Zeus stole his sister Europe his father Agenor commanded him and his brothers to look for their sister and not to return unless they find her.

    Cadmus began searching for his sister and sailed with his mother Telephassa to Rhodes, where he dedication to Athena of Lindos copper container and built temple of Poseidon, leaving behind hereditary Priesthood to take care of it. Travellers passed on from Thera and built same temple there, and finally they arrived in the land of Hedoni Thrace who they received hospitably. There the Telephassa died suddenly, and after She Laid To Rest . Cadmus and his companions went on foot to the Delphic oracle was at Delphi . When asked where could find Europe Pythia advised him to abandon research and instead this to follow a cow and to establish a city where the animal will kneeling

    Taking the road from Delphi to Fokida, Cadmus met some cattle herds that belonged to King Pelagonta. He sold him a cow which had a moon sign on each side. This animal lead Cadmus  east, without leaving time to stop, until the cow finally collapsed. There Cadmus established the city of Thebes in accordance with Pythias’ instructions and he named the citadel Kadmeia.

    He also erected a statue for Athena giving it the Phoenician name Ogka.

    He informed his companions that the cow should be sacrificed to Athena without delay, Cadmus sent them to bring purifying water from the Mars Spring, now called Castalia spring but They did not know the spring was guarded  by a huge snake. The snake  killed most of the people of Cadmus, and he took revenge by crushing his head with a rock.

     As a reward   the God Mars gave him to wife his daughter who called Harmony. The marriage was considered by the brightest events of the season. Cadmus donated his wife a famous necklace, known in mythology as the necklace of Harmony which was the work of Hephaestus, also gave her and a veil made of Athena. Once Cadmus had offered to Athena sacrifice she appeared and praised him for  his  bravery, and she commanded him to sow the serpent's teeth of snake  in the soil.  When Cadmus did what she told him,  sprung straight militant Sparta   beating their weapons.  Cadmus threw among them a stone, and they began to quarrel, accusing each other that he had flown the stone. Then they fought each other with such fury that eventually survived only five: Chion, t Oudaios , Chthonius , Yperinor and Peloros.  They  offered their services to Cadmus and became the ancestors of the Thebans .  Mars sought revenge for the death of the snake, and Cadmus was condemned by divine court to become a servant of a Great Year (8 years)

    The couple lived and reigned at Thebes and his reign was long and happy. They acquired several children: Ino, Semele, Agave, Aftonoi, Polydoros. Later, they left the kingdom in Polydoros, settled in Illyria. Legend says that after their death were transformed into dragons and Zeus sent them to the Champs Elysees. Herodotus claims that Cadmus brought to Greece Phoenician (or Kadmeia) letters.

     

    http://www.ekivolos.gr/Arxaia%20Thiva.htm

    http://www.krassanakis.gr/thebes.htm

    EUROPE

     Agenor, son of Libyan Neptune left Egypt to settle in the land of Canaan, where he married Telephassa, and they had five sons Cadmus, Phoenix, Kilix, Thassos, Phineas and one daughter, Europe.

    Zeus fell in love with Europe and sent Hermes to lead the herd of Agenor down to the shore of Tyre, where Europe and her companions were taking a walk.

    And Zeus got into the herd himself disguised as a snow-white bull with horns small, like precious gems, among which was carved a single black line. Europe was impressed by the bull’s beauty, and seeing that it is tame as a lamb, she defeated her fear and began to play with it, to lay flowers in its mouth and to hang garlands on its horns and at the end she climbed on his back and they went downhill at the water's edge. Suddenly, the bull got into the sea and began to swim, and she looked back with horror at the distant shore while holding the right horn of the bull with her one hand and the basket with the flowers with her other hand.

    Zeus took Europe on the shores of Crete. In Crete’s Mount Dikti, Zeus revealed his true identity to the girl. From their union Minos, Radamanthys and Sarpedon were born and they ruled in different regions of Crete.

    Minos reigned at Knossos and created the Minoan civilization, Rodamanthys governed Phaistos in southern Crete and Sarpedon became the lord of Malia.

    Agenor sent his sons to find their sister forbidding them to return without her. They sailed right away, but as they had no idea where the bull had taken her, they each followed a different course. Phoenix traveled west across Libya, in today's Carthage, and there he gave his name to the Phoenicians; but after the death of Agenor he returned to Canaan, which has since been renamed Phoenicia in his honor and became the father of Adonis from AlfesIvoia ( 4). Kilix went to Country of Ypachaion, which got his name, Cilicia (5) and Phineas went to Thynias, the peninsula separating the Sea of ​​Marmara with the Black Sea. Thassos and his companions at first arrived in Olympia and then left and colonized the island of Thassos, where they worked in the rich gold mines.

    All this was done five generations before being born in Greece Hercules, son of Amphitryon.

    Europe is very often depicted in ancient Greek art. In the 16th and 17th century the story of Europe was very popular among famous painters. The most famous illustrations of History were made by the Italian painter Titian (1489-1576), by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and Dutch Rembrandt (1606-1669)

    Europe gave its name to the continent, to which Greece belongs.