Mopsus
Also known as: Mopsus the son of Ampyeus / son of Ampycus · Family: Argonauts · Role: seer · First appears: Book I 1
Mopsus, son of Ampyeus—also called son of Ampycus—was a seer among the Argonauts, taught the augury of birds by Apollo. In Book I, while guarding the sleeping companions, he woke Jason and prophesied that he must propitiate the mother of the gods at Dindymum to end the storm: “Son of Aeson, thou must climb to this temple on rugged Dindymum and propitiate the mother of all the blessed gods on her fair throne, and the stormy blasts shall cease.” Jason welcomed the prophecy and carried it to the others.
In Book II, Mopsus urged the Argonauts to land and offer libations to Sthenelus. In Book III, he read an omen as a sign that they should seek Medea’s aid, then foretold that Cypris would help Jason win her assistance. Hera’s counsel told him that Medea would not speak sweetly to Jason while strangers were present, calling him “a pitiful seer” for failing to understand it. In Book IV, at Libya, Mopsus died after a serpent bit his leg and its poison overcame him.
Relationship record
Life events
- Mopsus prophesies that propitiating the goddess will end the storm.(Book I 8 · 📍 Dindymum)
- With: Jason
- “Son of Aeson, thou must climb to this temple on rugged Dindymum and propitiate the mother of all the blessed gods on her fair throne, and the stormy blasts shall cease.”
- Mopsus prophetically urges the Argonauts to land and propitiate Sthenelus.(Book II 8)
- With: Sthenelus
- “and Mopsus, son of Ampycus, with word of prophecy urged them to land and propitiate him with libations.”
- Mopsus interprets the omen as a sign to seek the maiden’s aid.(Book III 5)
- “And quickly Mopsus with prophetic words spake among them all: “For you, friends, this sign has been wrought by the will of heaven; in no other way is it possible to interpret its meaning better, than to seek out the maiden and entreat her with manifold skill.”
- Hera counsels Mopsus that Medea must meet Jason without strangers nearby.(Book III 7)
- With: Hera
- “What a pitiful seer is this, that has not the wit to conceive even what children know, how that no maiden will say a word of sweetness or love to a youth when strangers be near.”
- Mopsus foretells that Cypris will help Jason win Medea’s aid in the contest.(Book III 7 · 📍 temple)
- Mopsus died after a serpent bit his leg and its poison overcame him.(Book IV 12 · 📍 Libya)
- “Straightway his heavy limbs sank helplessly to the ground and he grew cold; and his comrades and the hero, Aeson’s son, gathered round, marvelling at the close-coming doom.”
Book I 1
- mentor: Apollo “Titaresian Mopsus, whom above all men the son of Leto taught the augury of birds”
Book I 8
- parent: Ampycus “while Acastus and Mopsus the son of Ampyeus kept guard over their deep slumbers.”
- pupil: Jason “And the seer touched Jason as he lay wrapped in soft sheepskins and woke him at once, and thus spake: ‘Son of Aeson, thou must climb to this temple on rugged Dindymum and propitiate the mother of all the blessed gods on her fair throne, and the stormy blasts shall cease.’”
Book I 9
- parent: Ampycus “the prophecy of Mopsus the son of Ampycus”
- with Jason (Mopsus prophesied to Jason and the Argonauts.) “Thus he spake, and his words were welcome to Jason’s ear. And he arose from his bed with joy and woke all his comrades hurriedly and told them the prophecy of Mopsus the son of Ampycus.”
Book II 8
- parent: Ampycus “Mopsus, son of Ampycus”
Book III 7
- parent: Ampycus (parent->child) “and with them went Mopsus, son of Ampycus, skilled to utter oracles from the appearance of birds, and skilled to give good counsel to those who set out on a journey.”
- pupil: Jason (Mopsus instructs Jason.) “Do thou, son of Aeson, pass on to the temple, where thou wilt find the maiden; and very kind will her greeting be to thee through the prompting of Cypris, who will be thy helpmate in the contest, even as Phineus, Agenor’s son, foretold.”
- mentor: Hera (Hera commands and rebukes Mopsus through the bird.) “One of them meantime as she clapped her wings aloft in the branches uttered the counsels of Hera: ‘What a pitiful seer is this, that has not the wit to conceive even what children know, how that no maiden will say a word of sweetness or love to a youth when strangers be near. Begone, sorry prophet, witless one; on thee neither Cypris nor the gentle Loves breathe in their kindness.’”
Book IV 12
- parent: Ampycus “a pitiless fate seized Mopsus too, son of Ampycus”
⭐ Constellation map → · 📖 Read the original → · 🗂 Character index → · 🕰 Chronicle → · 📍 Places →
Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.