Œneus
Family: Athens · Role: tribal eponym · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 5
Œneus, a tribal eponym of Athens, is identified in one account as the illegitimate son of Pandion, and elsewhere as the son of Porthaon. In Book 2, after being expelled from his kingdom in Ætolia by the sons of Agrius, he went to Argos to Diomede. He helped Diomede by leading an army into Calydonia, but could not stay there; after Œneus died, Diomede buried him at Œnoe, treating him “as one would expect a person to treat his grandfather.”
In Book 2, Hercules visited Œneus, described as a connection by marriage, after returning from Libya; during the visit Hercules struck Cyathus, Œneus’s cupbearer, for displeasing him with a drink. Œneus was the father of Deianira, Tydeus, Gorge, and Perimede, and the grandfather of Meleager. After the capture of Ilium, he retired with Diomede to the Peloponnese and had a daughter, Mothone, by a concubine. Another account says Artemis’s wrath against Œneus fell lighter upon the people of Calydon when a title was given to the goddess.
Relationship record
Book 1 · Chapter 5
- parent: Pandion (son of Cecrops the younger) “Œneus the illegitimate son of Pandion”
Book 2 · Chapter 13
- with Hercules (Œneus and Hercules were connected by marriage.) “Hercules, when he returned safe from Libya with the apples of the Hesperides, went to Phlius for some reason or other, and when he was living there was visited by Œneus, who was a connexion by marriage.”
- servant: Cyathus “However this may be, Hercules struck the lad Cyathus, the cupbearer of Œneus, on the head with one of his fingers, not being pleased with the drink he offered him”
Book 2 · Chapter 23
- child: Deianira (Œneus is Deianira's father.) “the tombs of Deianira the daughter of Œneus”
Book 2 · Chapter 25
- younger kin: Diomede (Œneus is presented as Diomede's grandfather.) “And when he went there, he treated him in all respects well, as one would expect a person to treat his grandfather, and when he died he buried him here.”
- with Diomede (grandfather and grandson) “And when he went there, he treated him in all respects well, as one would expect a person to treat his grandfather, and when he died he buried him here.”
Book 4 · Chapter 2
- child: Meleager “Polydora, and he also says that she was the daughter of Meleager the son of Œneus”
Book 4 · Chapter 35
- child: Mothone “Œneus the son of Porthaon after the capture of Ilium retired they say with Diomede to the Peloponnese, and had by a concubine a daughter Mothone.”
- parent: Porthaon “Œneus the son of Porthaon after the capture of Ilium retired they say with Diomede to the Peloponnese, and had by a concubine a daughter Mothone.”
- with Diomede (They travelled together to the Peloponnese.) “Œneus the son of Porthaon after the capture of Ilium retired they say with Diomede to the Peloponnese, and had by a concubine a daughter Mothone.”
Book 7 · Chapter 4
- child: Perimede “Perimede (the daughter of Œneus)”
Book 7 · Chapter 18
- with Artemis (Artemis's wrath was directed against Œneus.) “Others say that the wrath of Artemis against Œneus fell lighter upon the people of Calydon when this title was given to the goddess.”
Book 10 · Chapter 10
- child: Tydeus “Tydeus the son of Œneus”
Book 10 · Chapter 38
- child: Gorge “with Andræmon his wife Gorge, the daughter of Œneus, was buried.”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.