Lycus
Family: Thrace · Role: son of Pandion · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 19
In Book 1, Lycus, son of Pandion, fled from Ægeus to Termilæ; the natives there were said to take their name from him. He was later killed by Cycnus in a prize fight.
In Book 2, when Nycteus was near death, he appointed his brother Lycus ruler of the Thebans and entrusted him with the regency of the child Labdacus. In Book 4, many years later, Lycus established the sacred rites of Atthis at Andania. The material also says that he taught the mysteries of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus, his sons, and his wife Arene. In Book 9, Lycus became guardian to Laius and was defeated in battle by Amphion and Zethus; Dirce is identified as his wife.
Relationship record
Life events
- Lycus fled from Ægeus and went to Termilæ.(Book 1 · Chapter 19 · 📍 Termilæ)
- With: Ægeus
- “where Lycus went when he fled from Ægeus, are called Lycians from the same Lycus.”
- Cycnus killed Lycus in a prize fight and was later slain by Hercules.(Book 1 · Chapter 27 · 📍 river Peneus)
- Nycteus appointed Lycus ruler and transferred Labdacus’s regency to him.(Book 2 · Chapter 6 · 📍 Thebes)
- With: Nycteus Labdacus
- “Nycteus though very bad they took back to Thebes, and, when he was on the point of death, he gave orders that Lycus his brother should be ruler of the Thebans for the present: for Nycteus himself was Regent for Labdacus, (the son of Polydorus, the son of Cadmus), who was still a child, and now he left the Regency to Lycus.”
- Lycus established the sacred rites of Atthis at Andania.(Book 4 · Chapter 1 · 📍 Andania)
- Aristomenes hides sacred records to preserve the Messenians’ future hope of recovering their country.(Book 4 · Chapter 20 · 📍 Mount Ithome)
- With: Aristomenes
- “Aristomenes knowing these oracular utterances conveyed away by night these arcana: and going to the most unfrequented part of Mount Ithome buried them there”
Book 1 · Chapter 19
- parent: Pandion “And the Lyceum gets its name from Lycus the son of Pandion, but is now as of old considered a temple of Apollo, for Apollo was here called Lyceus originally.”
- with Ægeus (Lycus fled from Ægeus.) “And it is also said that the natives of Termilæ, where Lycus went when he fled from Ægeus, are called Lycians from the same Lycus.”
Book 1 · Chapter 27
- with Cycnus (Cycnus killed Lycus in a prize fight.) “This Cycnus they say killed among others the Thracian Lycus in a prize fight”
Book 1 · Chapter 29
- child: Thrasybulus “first of Thrasybulus the son of Lycus”
Book 2 · Chapter 6
- siblings with Nycteus “he gave orders that Lycus his brother should be ruler of the Thebans for the present”
- ward: Labdacus “he gave orders that Lycus his brother should be ruler of the Thebans for the present: for Nycteus himself was Regent for Labdacus”
- enemies with Epopeus “He also begged Lycus to go with a larger force to Ægialea and punish Epopeus”
Book 4 · Chapter 1
- parent: Pandion (Pandion is the father of Lycus.) “And that this Lycus was the son of Pandion is plain by the inscription on the statue of Methapus.”
- with Atthis (Lycus established sacred rites of Atthis.) “But I wonder that Lycus the son of Pandion should establish the sacred rites of Atthis in venerable Andania.”
Book 4 · Chapter 2
- siblings with Ægeus “when he also fled from Athens from his brother Ægeus”
- pupil: Aphareus “And he taught the mysteries of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus and his sons and his wife Arene.”
- pupil: Arene “And he taught the mysteries of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus and his sons and his wife Arene.”
- pupil: Idas “And he taught the mysteries of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus and his sons and his wife Arene.”
- pupil: Lynceus “And he taught the mysteries of the Great Goddesses to Aphareus and his sons and his wife Arene.”
- parent: Pandion “And Lycus the son of Pandion came also to Arene”
Book 4 · Chapter 20
- parent: Pandion (Pandion is Lycus's father.) “the oracular utterances of Lycus the son of Pandion”
Book 9 · Chapter 5
- ward: Laius (Lycus was guardian for Laius.) “Lycus became guardian for Laius the son of Labdacus”
- with Amphion (defeated in battle) “Lycus was defeated in battle by the sons of Antiope.”
- with Zethus (defeated in battle) “Lycus was defeated in battle by the sons of Antiope.”
Book 9 · Chapter 11
- child: Thrasybulus “when Thrasybulus the son of Lycus and the Athenians with him put down the Thirty Tyrants”
Book 9 · Chapter 17
- married with Dirce “Dirce, the wife of Lycus, honoured Dionysus more than any of the gods”
Book 9 · Chapter 25
- married with Dirce “the river called Dirce from the wife of Lycus”
Book 10 · Chapter 12
- parent: Pandion “Lycus the son of Pandion”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.