Coresus

Family: Calydonians · Role: founder of the temple at Ephesus · First appears: Book 7 · Chapter 2

Coresus and Ephesus built the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. Later, he loved Callirhoe, who rejected his wooing despite his promises and gifts.

After Dionysus answered Coresus’s prayer by driving the Calydonians insane and causing their deaths, an oracle at Dodona said the trouble would end only if Coresus sacrificed Callirhoe or someone volunteered in her place. At the altar, Coresus “yielding to love and not to anger slew himself instead of her.” Seeing him dead, Callirhoe repented and killed herself at a well in Calydon.

Relationship record

Life events

• Coresus and Ephesus built the temple of Artemis at Ephesus.(Book 7 · Chapter 2 · 📍 Ephesus)
  • With: Ephesus
  • “it was not however built by them, but by Coresus, an Autochthon, and by Ephesus”
• Callirhoe rejects Coresus’s wooing despite his promises and gifts.(Book 7 · Chapter 21)
  • With: Callirhoe
  • “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”
• Dionysus answers Coresus’s prayer by driving the Calydonians insane and causing their deaths.(Book 7 · Chapter 21)
  • With: Dionysus
  • “And the god heard the prayer of his priest, and the Calydonians forthwith became insane as with drink, and died beside themselves.”
• An oracle orders Coresus to sacrifice Callirhoe or find a substitute.(Book 7 · Chapter 21 · 📍 Dodona)
  • With: Dionysus Callirhoe
  • “And they were oracularly informed at Dodona that it was the wrath of Dionysus that had caused this trouble, which would not end till Coresus either sacrificed to Dionysus Callirhoe or somebody who should volunteer to die instead of her.”
• Coresus kills himself at the altar instead of Callirhoe.(Book 7 · Chapter 21)
  • With: Callirhoe
  • “then Coresus took his place as sacrificial priest, and yielding to love and not to anger slew himself instead of her.”
• Callirhoe kills herself at the well after seeing Coresus dead.(Book 7 · Chapter 21 · 📍 Calydon)
  • With: Callirhoe
  • “And when she saw Coresus lying dead the poor girl repented, and, moved by pity and shame at his fate, cut her own throat at the well in Calydon”

Book 7 · Chapter 2

• with Ephesus (interaction) “it was not however built by them, but by Coresus, an Autochthon, and by Ephesus”

Book 7 · Chapter 21

• admirer->admired with Callirhoe (Coresus loved Callirhoe, who disliked him.) “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”
• with Callirhoe (Callirhoe killed herself after Coresus died.) “And when she saw Coresus lying dead the poor girl repented, and, moved by pity and shame at his fate, cut her own throat at the well in Calydon”
• with Callirhoe (Coresus sacrificed himself instead of Callirhoe.) “then Coresus took his place as sacrificial priest, and yielding to love and not to anger slew himself instead of her.”
• admired: Callirhoe “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”

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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.