Cadmus
Family: Theban · Role: king · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 3.1
🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Cadmus) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Cadmus)
Cadmus was born to Agenor and Telephassa, alongside Europa, Phoenix, and Cilix. After Telephassa died, “Cadmus buried her”; he later came to Delphi to inquire about Europa.
At the spring of Ares, Cadmus killed the dragon and sowed its teeth on Athena’s advice. Armed men rose from the ground and fought one another, with five Sparti surviving, including Echion. To atone for the slaughter, Cadmus served Ares for a year; afterward, Athena procured the kingdom for him.
In the Cadmea, Zeus gave Harmonia to Cadmus as his wife, and the gods celebrated their marriage. They had four daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, and Agave, and a son, Polydorus. Cadmus later reigned over the Illyrians, where Illyrius was born to him; Pentheus, whom Agave bore to Echion, eventually succeeded him in the kingdom. Afterwards, Zeus turned Cadmus and Harmonia into serpents and sent them to the Elysian Fields.
Relationship record
Life events
- Telephassa died, and Cadmus buried her.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4)
- With: Telephassa
- “When Telephassa died, Cadmus buried her”
- Cadmus killed the dragon; armed men arose from its teeth, and five Sparti survived.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4 · 📍 the spring of Ares)
- With: Echion
- “In his indignation Cadmus killed the dragon, and by the advice of Athena sowed its teeth. When they were sown there rose from the ground armed men whom they called Sparti. These slew each other, some in a chance brawl, and some in ignorance. But Pherecydes says that when Cadmus saw armed men growing up out of the ground, he flung stones at them, and they, supposing that they were being pelted by each other, came to blows. However, five of them survived, Echion, Udaeus, Chthonius, Hyperenor, and Pelorus.”
- Zeus gave Harmonia as Cadmus's wife, and the gods celebrated their marriage in the Cadmea.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4 · 📍 the Cadmea)
- Cadmus and Harmonia had four daughters and a son, Polydorus.(Apollodorus, Library 3.4)
- Zeus transformed Cadmus and Harmonia into serpents and sent them to the Elysian Fields.(Apollodorus, Library 3.5 · 📍 Elysian Fields)
Apollodorus, Library 3.1
- parent: Agenor “Agenor went to Phoenicia , married Telephassa, and begat a daughter Europa and three sons, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix.”
- parent: Telephassa “Agenor went to Phoenicia , married Telephassa, and begat a daughter Europa and three sons, Cadmus, Phoenix, and Cilix.”
Apollodorus, Library 3.4
- protégé: Athena “After his servitude Athena procured for him the kingdom.”
- employer: Ares “But Cadmus, to atone for the slaughter, served Ares for an eternal year;”
- married with Harmonia “Zeus gave him to wife Harmonia, daughter of Aphrodite and Ares.”
- child: Autonoe “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
- child: Ino “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
- child: Semele “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
- child: Agave “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
- child: Polydorus “And to Cadmus were born daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and a son Polydorus.”
- with Telephassa (Cadmus buried Telephassa.) “When Telephassa died, Cadmus buried her”
- with Europa (Cadmus went to Delphi to inquire about Europa.) “he came to Delphi to inquire about Europa”
- patron: Athena (Athena procured a kingdom for Cadmus.) “After his servitude Athena procured for him the kingdom”
- with Ares (Cadmus served Ares as atonement.) “Cadmus, to atone for the slaughter, served Ares for an eternal year”
Apollodorus, Library 3.5
- married with Harmonia (Cadmus and Harmonia are presented as a couple.) “But Cadmus and Harmonia quitted Thebes and went to the Encheleans.”
- child: Illyrius (Illyrius is Cadmus's son.) “And Cadmus reigned over the Illyrians, and a son Illyrius was born to him.”
- with Pentheus (Pentheus succeeded Cadmus in the kingdom.) “But Pentheus, whom Agave bore to Echion, had succeeded Cadmus in the kingdom, and he attempted to put a stop to these proceedings.”
- with Zeus (interaction) “But afterwards he was, along with Harmonia, turned into a serpent and sent away by Zeus to the Elysian Fields.”
Hesiod, Theogony 869-975
- married with Harmonia “Harmonia whom high-spirited Cadmus made his wife”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.