Proetus

Family: Tiryns · Role: king · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 2.2

Proetus was the son of Abas and Aglaia, and the twin brother of Acrisius. “These two quarrelled with each other while they were still in the womb,” and when they grew up they fought for the kingdom; Acrisius defeated him and drove him from Argos. Proetus fled to Lycia, married Stheneboea, and returned with an army through Iobates, occupying Tiryns.

With Stheneboea, Proetus had Lysippe, Iphinoe, and Iphianassa, and later a son, Megapenthes. During the pursuit, Iphinoe died, while the other daughters recovered after purification; Proetus gave them in marriage to Melampus and Bias. Melampus had promised to cure them in exchange for a share of the sovereignty, equal to the portion granted to Bias.

Later, Stheneboea sent proposals to Bellerophon, and after he rejected them she falsely accused him before Proetus. “Proetus believed her,” and sent Bellerophon to Iobates with a letter ordering his death. Some accounts also say that Danae was seduced by Proetus, which caused the quarrel between him and Acrisius.

Relationship record

Life events

• Abas fathered twin sons, Acrisius and Proetus.(Apollodorus, Library 2.2)
  • With: Abas Acrisius Aglaia
  • “and Abas had twin sons Acrisius and Proetus by Aglaia, daughter of Mantineus.”
• Acrisius defeated Proetus in war and expelled him from Argos.(Apollodorus, Library 2.2 · 📍 Argos)
  • With: Acrisius
  • “And Acrisius gained the mastery and drove Proetus from Argos”
• Proetus married Stheneboea after fleeing to Lycia.(Apollodorus, Library 2.2)
  • With: Stheneboea
  • “and married his daughter, whom Homer calls Antia, but the tragic poets call her Stheneboea.”
• Proetus returned with a Lycian army and occupied Tiryns.(Apollodorus, Library 2.2 · 📍 Tiryns)
  • “His in-law restored him to his own land with an army of Lycians, and he occupied Tiryns”
• Iphinoe died during the pursuit, while the remaining daughters later recovered and married.(Apollodorus, Library 2.2 · 📍 Sicyon)
  • With: Melampus Bias Iphinoe
  • “In the pursuit Iphinoe, the eldest of the daughters, expired; but the others were lucky enough to be purified and so to recover their wits. Proetus gave them in marriage to Melampus and Bias”
• Stheneboea’s proposal is rejected, so she falsely accuses Bellerophon before Proetus.(Apollodorus, Library 2.3)
  • With: Stheneboea Bellerophon
  • “And Stheneboea fell in love with him, and sent him proposals for a meeting; and when he rejected them, she told Proetus that Bellerophon had sent her a vicious proposal.”
• Proetus sends Bellerophon to Iobates with a letter ordering his death.(Apollodorus, Library 2.3)
  • With: Bellerophon Iobates
  • “Proetus believed her, and gave him a letter to take to Iobates, in which it was written that he was to kill Bellerophon.”

Apollodorus, Library 2.2

• parent: Abas “and Abas had twin sons Acrisius and Proetus by Aglaia, daughter of Mantineus.”
• parent: Aglaia “and Abas had twin sons Acrisius and Proetus by Aglaia, daughter of Mantineus.”
• siblings with Acrisius “and Abas had twin sons Acrisius and Proetus by Aglaia, daughter of Mantineus.”
• enemies with Acrisius “These two quarrelled with each other while they were still in the womb, and when they were grown up they waged war for the kingdom, and in the course of the war they were the first to invent shields.”
• married with Stheneboea “and married his daughter, whom Homer calls Antia, but the tragic poets call her Stheneboea.”
• child: Lysippe “and Proetus had daughters, Lysippe, Iphinoe, and Iphianassa, by Stheneboea.”
• child: Iphinoe “and Proetus had daughters, Lysippe, Iphinoe, and Iphianassa, by Stheneboea.”
• child: Iphianassa “and Proetus had daughters, Lysippe, Iphinoe, and Iphianassa, by Stheneboea.”
• child: Megapenthes “Proetus gave them in marriage to Melampus and Bias, and afterwards begat a son, Megapenthes.”
• with Melampus (Melampus offered healing to Proetus in exchange for a share of sovereignty.) “But Melampus, son of Amythaon by Idomene, daughter of Abas, being a seer and the first to devise the cure by means of drugs and purifications, promised to cure the maidens if he should receive the third part of the sovereignty.”
• rivals with Acrisius “when they were grown up they waged war for the kingdom”
• with Iobates (Iobates is the most immediate antecedent of the named in-law.) “His in-law restored him to his own land with an army of Lycians”
• with Bias (interaction) “Melampus promised to effect a cure whenever his brother Bias should receive just so much land as himself”

Apollodorus, Library 2.3

• with Bellerophon (Proetus sent Bellerophon to Iobates with a letter ordering his death.) “Proetus believed her, and gave him a letter to take to Iobates, in which it was written that he was to kill Bellerophon.”
• with Stheneboea (She makes a false accusation to Proetus.) “she told Proetus that Bellerophon had sent her a vicious proposal”

Apollodorus, Library 2.4

• with Danae (interaction) “However, she was seduced, as some say, by Proetus, whence arose the quarrel between them”
• courtship with Danae “However, she was seduced, as some say, by Proetus, whence arose the quarrel between them;”

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