Tydeus
Family: Argos · Role: warrior · First appears: Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 3
At the Prœtan gates, Eteocles appointed Melanippus to defend them against Tydeus: “And against Tydeus, to defend the gates, / I'll set this valiant son of Astacos;” Melanippus was therefore Tydeus’s enemy. Later, Polynices led seven allied commanders and their battalions against Thebè, with Tydeus among his firm allies.
At the Homolôian gates, Amphiaraos reproved Tydeus with sharp words as a “murderer” and “troubler of the State,” serving as both his other and his mentor. Adrastus was also associated with Tydeus as an elder-kin and was blamed through Tydeus as the recipient of counsels that led him into trouble.
Tydeus was the son of Oeneus and the parent of Diomedes. At Argos, Adrastus married his two daughters to Tydeus and Polynices; Tydeus and Polynices had come to blows over lodging, though they were later counted as firm allies.
Relationship record
Life events
- Eteocles appoints Melanippus to defend the Prœtan gates against Tydeus.(Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 3 · 📍 Prœtan gates)
- With: Eteocles Melanippus
- “And against Tydeus, to defend the gates, I'll set this valiant son of Astacos;”
- Polynices leads seven allied commanders and their battalions against Thebè.(Sophocles, Oedipus At Colonos — Scene 7 · 📍 Thebè)
- With: Polynices Amphiaraos Etéoclus Hippomedon Capaneus Parthenopaeus
- “With whose aid levying all that mighty host Of seven battalions, I have deeply sworn Either to die, or drive from Theban ground Those who such wrongs have wrought.”
- Adrastus married his two daughters to Polynices and Tydeus.(Euripides, The Phœnician Virgins — Scene 2 · 📍 Argos)
Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 3
- enemies with Melanippus “And against Tydeus, to defend the gates, / I'll set this valiant son of Astacos;”
Aeschylus, The Seven Who Fought Against Thebes — Scene 4
- with Amphiaraos (Amphiaraos publicly reproves and denounces Tydeus.) “He, stationed at the Homolôian gates, Reproves the mighty Tydeus with sharp words As 'murderer,' and 'troubler of the State,'”
- with Adrastus (Tydeus's counsels are said to have led Adrastos into the present troubles.) “'Erinnys' sumpnour,' 'murder's minister,' Whose counsels led Adrastos to these ills.”
- mentor: Amphiaraos “He, stationed at the Homolôian gates, Reproves the mighty Tydeus with sharp words As 'murderer,' and 'troubler of the State,'”
Sophocles, Philoctetes — Scene 3
- child: Diomedes “But Tydeus' offspring, and the rascal birth Laërtes bought of Sisyphus, they live: I know it. For their death were to be wished.”
Sophocles, Oedipus At Colonos — Scene 7
- parent: Oeneus “Next, Oeneus' son, Aetolian Tydeus;”
- friends with Polynices “And for my firm allies, who at this hour, Seven leaders of seven bands embattled there, Encompass Thebè's plain. Amphiaráus, Foremost in augury, foremost in war, First wields his warlike spear. Next, Oeneus' son, Aetolian Tydeus;”
Euripides, The Phœnician Virgins — Scene 1
- with Polynices (Tydeus is the husband of the sister of Polynices' wife, making him a brother-in-law by marriage.) “Is this the prince, O aged man, who is husband to the sister of my brother's wife?”
Euripides, The Phœnician Virgins — Scene 2
- elder kin: Adrastus (Adrastus gives one of his daughters in marriage to Tydeus, making him Tydeus's father-in-law.) “And gave in marriage to us two his two virgin daughters.”
- with Polynices (They fought over lodging when they first met.) “Because we came to blows for lodging.”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Tragedy. Made with Rho MD.