Inachus in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Inachus

14 passages from 7 ancient authors that tell of Inachus, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Inachus was the first king of the city of Argos in Greek mythology. His name was also given to the river Inachus nearby. He was the eldest king of Arg... For the story in one place, read our article on Inachus.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.1.1–5Inachus, Io and the DanaidsThe line of Inachus of Argos runs through Phoroneus and Apis to Argus the All-seeing, whom Hermes kills while he guards Io, whom Zeus has turned into a cow. Io wanders to Egypt and bears Epaphus, whose descendants include the twins Belus and Agenor. Belus's twin sons Aegyptus and Danaus quarrel over the kingdom, Danaus flees to Argos with his fifty daughters, and they are married to Aegyptus's sons and kill them on the wedding night, all but Hypermnestra, who spares Lynceus.

Aeschylus (2)

Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 526–608Second stasimon: the Chorus' warning; Io arrivesThe Chorus pray never to oppose Zeus, and warn Prometheus that he has honoured mortals too much, and they remember the song they sang at his marriage to their sister Hesione. Io, a maiden with the horns of a cow, enters in frenzy, driven by the gadfly that Hera sent after her. She asks who is chained to the rock, and Prometheus recognises her as the daughter of Inachus, and she begs him to say who he is and what suffering awaits her.
Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound 609–686Second episode: Io tells her storyPrometheus tells Io who he is, that he gave fire to mankind, and that Zeus and Hephaestus bound him, but he will not say why he is punished. At the Chorus' urging she tells how dreams urged her to go to the meadow of Lerna to meet Zeus, how her father Inachus received oracles that told him to cast her out, and how she was changed into a cow and pursued by Argus and by the gadfly.

Euripides (1)

Euripides, Electra 1–53Prologue: the Peasant tells of Electra's marriageA Peasant of Argos tells how Agamemnon sailed from the plain of Inachus to Troy and was killed on his return by Aegisthus, who took his wife Clytemnestra. Aegisthus gave Electra, the daughter of Agamemnon, in marriage to the Peasant, who, being poor, has kept his respect for her and has never touched her, and he tells how she works with him in the fields.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 1.568–688Io and ArgusThe river gods come to console Peneus for the loss of Daphne, except Inachus, who is mourning his daughter Io. Zeus (Jupiter, 'Jove' in More's translation) takes Io under a cloud, and when Hera (Juno) comes down to look he turns Io into a white heifer. Hera asks for the heifer as a gift and sets the hundred-eyed Argus to watch her, and Io writes her name in the dust with her hoof to tell her father Inachus who she is. Zeus sends Hermes (Mercury), disguised as a shepherd, who plays on his pipe and begins to tell the story of Syrinx.

Pausanias (4)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.15.1–5Cleonae and Nemea; Mycenae and the early Argive legends of Inachus and PhoroneusOn the road to Argos Pausanias describes Cleonae, with its Athena by Scyllis and Dipoenus and the tomb of Eurytus and Cteatus, and the Nemean region: the lion’s cave, the temple of Nemean Zeus, the grave of Opheltes and Mount Apesas. He then begins the Argive legends, covering Inachus, the dispute of Poseidon and Hera over the land, and Phoroneus, who first gathered mankind.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.6.1–6Arcadia: military history, the mountain passes and Black AphroditePausanias summarises the Arcadians' collective history: the Trojan war, aid to the Messenians against Sparta, Plataea, reluctant service with Sparta and the move to the Theban side after Leuctra. He says they did not fight against Philip or Antipater, and were hindered from joining the stand against the Gauls by fear of Sparta. He then describes the passes into Arcadia from Argolis, the Ladder, the fountain of the Meliasts with the hall of Dionysus and the sanctuary of Black Aphrodite, and the springs of the Inachus on Mount Artemisius.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.25.1–10Argive roads: Oenoe, Lyrcea, Orneae, Tiryns, Midea and LessaPausanias follows the roads leading out of Argos. The Mantinea road passes a double sanctuary of Aphrodite and Ares, Oenoe named for Oeneus, and Mount Artemisius with the springs of the Inachus; another leads to Lyrcea and Orneae. On the Epidaurus road he notes the pyramid-like monument of the fight between Proetus and Acrisius, the Cyclopean walls of Tiryns, the ruins of Midea, and Lessa with its temple of Athena and Mount Arachnaeus.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.18.1–9Argos: the road from Mycenae, the tomb of Thyestes and the kings of ArgosOn the road to Argos are a shrine of Perseus, the tomb of Thyestes with its ram, the sanctuary of Mysian Demeter, the river Inachus and an altar of the Sun. Pausanias explains the division of the Argive kingdom among the lines of Anaxagoras, Bias and Melampus, then the rule of Orestes and Tisamenus and the return of the Heraclids, who drove out Tisamenus and the descendants of Nestor.

Nonnus of Panopolis (4)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 3.216–318Book 3: Dardanos and the flood; Cadmos tells his lineageAfter the third flood Dardanos reaches Ida, and Emathion receives Cadmos at a rich table with the music of Corybantic pipes. Questioned by Electra, Cadmos traces his descent from Io and Epaphos through Belos to his father Agenor, and tells how Europa was carried off by the bull and he was sent to find her.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 25.80–193Book 25: The feats of Perseus and Minos set against those of DionysosThe poet continues the comparison with Perseus, setting his sea-monster, Polydectes and Andromeda against Dionysos' defeat of the Giants. He contrasts Minos' conquest of Megara, won through Scylla's love, with a victory won by hard fighting, and turns to Heracles, whose Nemean lion was matched by the boy Dionysos with his team of lions.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 47.364–495Book 47: Ariadne's lament; her marriage to Dionysos; the madness of ArgosAriadne laments her abandonment and begs any passing sailor to take her to Athens. Dionysos appears, consoles her and promises her a crown of stars, and they marry on Naxos amid songs and dances. He then goes to Argos, where the people, fearing Hera, refuse his rites, and he drives the Argive women mad so that they kill their infant children.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 47.496–593Book 47: An Argive taunts Dionysos; Hera arms PerseusAn Argive mocks Dionysos, setting Perseus the Gorgon-slayer against him and urging him to go back to Thebes. Hera, taking the shape of the seer Melampus, urges Perseus to defend Argos, and Argos's heroes muster. Dionysos arms his Bacchants and Satyrs and protects himself with a gem against the Gorgon's gaze.

Parthenius of Nicaea (1)

Parthenius of Nicaea, Love Romances 1.1–2.3Lyrcus and Hemithea; Odysseus and PolymelaLyrcus, sent to look for the captured Io, settles at Caunus and marries Hilebia. On his way home from the oracle at Didyma, Staphylus makes him drunk and unites him with his daughter Hemithea, and Lyrcus leaves her his belt as a token for their child. Odysseus, a guest of King Aeolus, falls in love with Aeolus' daughter Polymela, and when Aeolus learns of it her brother Diores begs her off and takes her as his wife.