Eurystheus

Family: Mycenae · Role: king · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.4

🌐 Also appears in: The Iliad (as Eurystheus) · The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Eurystheus) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Eurystheus)

Eurystheus, king of Mycenae, was the son of Sthenelus and Nicippe. Hera contrived that he should be born a seven-month child, while Zeus was associated with the prophecy that a descendant of Perseus would reign over Mycenae. At Tiryns, after Heracles had killed his children by Megara and two children of Iphicles, the Pythian priestess directed him to serve Eurystheus for twelve years and perform ten labours. Eurystheus rejected Heracles’ hydra labour because Iolaus had helped him, but accepted Geryon’s cattle and sacrificed them to Hera.

Eurystheus’ daughter was Admete, and he purified Copreus after Copreus killed Iphitus and fled to Mycenae. He married Antimache, and his sons were Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes. When the Athenians refused to surrender them, war followed and they were slain. Eurystheus then fled by chariot, but Hyllus pursued and killed him at the Scironian cliffs; Hyllus gave his head to Alcmena, who gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins.

Relationship record

Life events

• Hercules killed his children, condemned himself to exile, and was assigned ten labours serving Eurystheus.(Apollodorus, Library 2.4 · 📍 Tiryns)
  • With: Heracles Megara Iphicles Hera Thespius
  • “Now it came to pass that after the battle with the Minyans Hercules was driven mad through the jealousy of Hera and flung his own children, whom he had by Megara, and two children of Iphicles into the fire; wherefore he condemned himself to exile, and was purified by Thespius, and repairing to Delphi he inquired of the god where he should dwell. The Pythian priestess then first called him Hercules, for hitherto he was called Alcides. And she told him to dwell in Tiryns, serving Eurystheus for twelve years and to perform the ten labours imposed on him”
• Eurystheus excludes Hercules’ hydra labor because Iolaus assisted him.(Apollodorus, Library 2.5)
  • With: Heracles Iolaus
  • “However, Eurystheus said that this labour should not be reckoned among the ten because he had not got the better of the hydra by himself, but with the help of Iolaus.”
• Hercules delivers Geryon’s cattle to Eurystheus, who sacrifices them to Hera.(Apollodorus, Library 2.5)
  • With: Heracles Hera
  • “and he conveyed the kine and gave them to Eurystheus, who sacrificed them to Hera.”
• Hyllus pursued and killed Eurystheus, then gave his head to Alcmena.(Apollodorus, Library 2.8 · 📍 Scironian cliffs)
  • With: Hyllus Alcmena
  • “Eurystheus himself fled in a chariot, but was pursued and slain by Hyllus just as he was driving past the Scironian cliffs; and Hyllus cut off his head and gave it to Alcmena; and she gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.4

• parent: Sthenelus “and he had afterwards a son Eurystheus”
• servant: Heracles “serving Eurystheus for twelve years and to perform the ten labours imposed on him”
• parent: Nicippe “Sthenelus had daughters, Alcyone and Medusa, by Nicippe, daughter of Pelops; and he had afterwards a son Eurystheus”
• patron: Hera “contrived that Eurystheus, son of Sthenelus, should be born a seven-month child.”
• parent: Zeus “the descendant of Perseus then about to be born would reign over Mycenae”

Apollodorus, Library 2.5

• child: Admete “because Admete, daughter of Eurystheus, desired to get it.”
• with Copreus (Eurystheus purified Copreus.) “This Copreus had killed Iphitus and fled to Mycenae , where he was purified by Eurystheus and took up his abode.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.8

• child: Alexander (parent->child) “Refusing to surrender them, the Athenians bore the brunt of war with Eurystheus, and slew his sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes.”
• child: Iphimedon (parent->child) “Refusing to surrender them, the Athenians bore the brunt of war with Eurystheus, and slew his sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes.”
• child: Eurybius (parent->child) “Refusing to surrender them, the Athenians bore the brunt of war with Eurystheus, and slew his sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes.”
• child: Mentor (parent->child) “Refusing to surrender them, the Athenians bore the brunt of war with Eurystheus, and slew his sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes.”
• child: Perimedes (parent->child) “Refusing to surrender them, the Athenians bore the brunt of war with Eurystheus, and slew his sons, Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor and Perimedes.”
• with Hyllus (Hyllus killed Eurystheus.) “Eurystheus himself fled in a chariot, but was pursued and slain by Hyllus just as he was driving past the Scironian cliffs;”
• enemies with Hyllus “Eurystheus himself fled in a chariot, but was pursued and slain by Hyllus just as he was driving past the Scironian cliffs;”
• with Alcmena (Alcmena gouged out Eurystheus's eyes.) “and she gouged out his eyes with weaving-pins.”

Apollodorus, Library 3.9

• married with Antimache “And Amphidamas had a son Melanion and a daughter Antimache, whom Eurystheus married.”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.