Tyndareus
Family: Greek · Role: king · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.9
🌐 Also appears in: Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Tyndareus)
Tyndareus was the son of Perieres and Gorgophone. At Lacedaemon, Hippocoon and his sons became his enemies and expelled him and Icarius; afterward, Heracles killed Hippocoon and his sons, allowing them to return. “Hercules restored Tyndareus and entrusted the kingdom to him.”
Tyndareus married Leda, and they had Timandra, Clytaemnestra, Castor, and Phylonoe, whom Artemis made immortal. He chose Menelaus as the bridegroom of Helen, and Agamemnon and Menelaus became his sons-in-law by marrying his daughters. He also promised to help Odysseus win Penelope.
Tyndareus brought Agamemnon and Menelaus back, and they drove away Thyestes to Cytheria. After the Dioscuri were translated to the gods, he summoned Menelaus to Sparta and handed over the kingdom to him; Orestes was later said to have been brought to trial by Tyndareus or by the Furies.
Relationship record
Life events
- Hercules killed Hippocoon and his sons, subjugated Lacedaemon, and restored Tyndareus as king.(Apollodorus, Library 2.7 · 📍 Lacedaemon)
- Hercules killed Hippocoon and his sons, allowing Icarius and Tyndareus to return.(Apollodorus, Library 3.10 · 📍 Lacedaemon)
- Tyndareus transferred the kingdom of Sparta to Menelaus.(Apollodorus, Library 3.11 · 📍 Sparta)
- With: Menelaus
- “And when the Dioscuri were translated to the gods, Tyndareus sent for Menelaus to Sparta and handed over the kingdom to him.”
Apollodorus, Library 1.9
- parent: Perieres “by whom he had sons, to wit, Aphareus and Leucippus, and Tyndareus, and also Icarius.”
Apollodorus, Library 2.7
- patron: Heracles (Hercules patronized/restored Tyndareus.) “Hercules restored Tyndareus and entrusted the kingdom to him.”
Apollodorus, Library 3.10
- parent: Gorgophone “and she bore Tyndareus, Icarius, Aphareus, and Leucippus.”
- enemies with Hippocoon “With the help of these sons Hippocoon expelled Icarius and Tyndareus from Lacedaemon.”
- married with Leda “Tyndareus married Leda, daughter of Thestius.”
- child: Timandra “Tyndareus and Leda had daughters, to wit, Timandra, whom Echemus married”
- child: Clytaemnestra “and Castor and Clytaemnestra to Tyndareus.”
- child: Phylonoe “also another daughter Phylonoe, whom Artemis made immortal.”
- child: Castor “and Castor and Clytaemnestra to Tyndareus.”
- courtship with Menelaus “while he chose Menelaus to be the bridegroom of Helen”
- with Hippocoon (Hippocoon and his sons expelled Tyndareus.) “With the help of these sons Hippocoon expelled Icarius and Tyndareus from Lacedaemon .”
- with Odysseus (interaction) “Ulysses promised that, if he would help him to win the hand of Penelope, he would suggest a way by which there would be no quarrel. And when Tyndareus promised to help him”
- with Menelaus (interaction) “while he chose Menelaus to be the bridegroom of Helen”
Apollodorus, Epitome 2
- with Agamemnon (Agamemnon became Tyndareus's son-in-law.) “And they became the sons-in-law of Tyndareus by marrying his daughters”
- enemies with Thyestes “Not long afterwards Tyndareus brought them back again, and they drove away Thyestes to dwell in Cytheria”
- child: Helen “Menelaus married Helen and reigned over Sparta , Tyndareus having ceded the kingdom to him.”
Apollodorus, Epitome 6
- with Orestes (Tyndareus was said to have brought Orestes to trial.) “He is variously said to have been brought to trial by the Furies, or by Tyndareus”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.