Amphion

Family: Thebes · Role: magician · First appears: Book 2 · Chapter 6

Near Eleutheræ, as Antiope was being conducted to Thebes, she gave birth to Zethus and Amphion. A passage says she was pregnant by both Zeus and Epopeus. Later, Chloris, described as the only surviving child of Amphion except for one brother, won the maiden games.

At Thebes, Amphion discovered the nete chord at the gate Neiste. In Book 9, Zethus and Amphion invaded the country with a band of men, and the city was called Thebes through their relationship to Thebe. Amphion was renowned for music; a tradition says Hermes taught him to play the lyre, while another says he received the lyre from Hermes after erecting an altar to him. His relationship to Tantalus was said to have taught him Lydian harmony, and an account grouped him with Orpheus as a wonderful magician.

After the children of Amphion and Niobe were slain by Apollo and Artemis, Chloris and Amyclas (son of Amphion) alone survived. Amphion was said to have paid a penalty in Hades for railing against Leto and her sons. He and Zethus were buried together at Thebes; an oracle of Bacis referred to their tomb.

Relationship record

Life events

Antiope gave birth to Zethus and Amphion near Eleutheræ.(Book 2 · Chapter 6 · 📍 Eleutheræ)
- With: Antiope Zethus
- “And she, as she was being conducted to Thebes, gave birth to a child on the road near Eleutheræ. And it is in reference to this event that Asius the son of Amphiptolemus has written the lines, ‘Antiope, the daughter of the deep-eddying river Asopus, bare Zethus and divine Amphion, being pregnant both by Zeus, and Epopeus shepherd of his people.’”
Chloris became the victor in the maiden games.(Book 5 · Chapter 16)
- With: Chloris
- “And they record that Chloris (with the exception of one brother the only surviving child of Amphion) was the victor.”
Amphion discovered the nete chord at the gate Neiste.(Book 9 · Chapter 8 · 📍 Thebes)
- “one of the chords in the lyre is called nete, and Amphion discovered this chord at this very gate.”

Book 2 · Chapter 6

parent: Antiope “Antiope, the daughter of the deep-eddying river Asopus, bare Zethus and divine Amphion”
parent: Zeus “Antiope, the daughter of the deep-eddying river Asopus, bare Zethus and divine Amphion, being pregnant both by Zeus, and Epopeus shepherd of his people.”
parent: Epopeus “Antiope, the daughter of the deep-eddying river Asopus, bare Zethus and divine Amphion, being pregnant both by Zeus, and Epopeus shepherd of his people.”

Book 2 · Chapter 21

child: Chloris “when the children of Amphion and Niobe were slain by Apollo and Artemis, she alone and Amyclas were saved alive”
child: Amyclas (son of Amphion) “when the children of Amphion and Niobe were slain by Apollo and Artemis, she alone and Amyclas were saved alive”

Book 5 · Chapter 16

child: Chloris “Chloris (with the exception of one brother the only surviving child of Amphion) was the victor.”

Book 6 · Chapter 20

with Orpheus (Both are described as magicians.) “This Egyptian also thought that Amphion and the Thracian Orpheus were wonderful magicians”

Book 9 · Chapter 5

siblings with Zethus (The chapter later refers to both as ruling together, implying the traditional sibling pair.) “Amphion and Zethus invaded the country with a band of men”
parent: Antiope (Amphion is one of the sons of Antiope.) “Lycus was defeated in battle by the sons of Antiope”
with Tantalus (The exact nature of their relationship is unspecified.) “Amphion was famous for music, and from his relationship to Tantalus learnt the harmony of the Lydians”
mentor: Hermes (Hermes taught Amphion to play the lyre.) “the author of the poem about Europa says that Amphion was the first who played on the lyre, and that Hermes taught him how”
with Lycus (defeated in battle) “Lycus was defeated in battle by the sons of Antiope.”
with Thebe (interaction) “and called it Thebes from their relationship to Thebe.”
with Leto (Amphion railed against Leto) “It is said also that in Hades Amphion paid the penalty for his railing against Leto and her sons.”
with Myro (Myro wrote about Amphion) “Myro, the Byzantian poetess who wrote epic and elegiac verses, says that Amphion first erected an altar to Hermes and received from him the lyre on it.”

Book 9 · Chapter 8

siblings with Zethus “Another account is that Zethus the brother of Amphion had a son called Neis”

Book 9 · Chapter 17

with Zethus (They share a sepulchre.) “A mound of earth not very high is the sepulchre of Zethus and Amphion.”
with Zethus (They share a sepulchre.) “A mound of earth not very high is the sepulchre of Zethus and Amphion.”

Book 10 · Chapter 32

with Bacis (Bacis gave an oracle concerning Amphion's tomb.) “I also gave the oracle of Bacis both about this tomb and that of Zethus and Amphion at Thebes”
with Zethus (They share a tomb at Thebes.) “that of Zethus and Amphion at Thebes”

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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.