Irlandos: /* Dramatic treatments */

2006-04-23T14:20:26Z

Dramatic treatments

Irlandos at 14:19, April 23, 2006

2006-04-23T14:19:27Z

New page

'''Amphitryon''', or '''[[Amphitrion]]''', in [[Greek mythology]], was a son of [[Alcaeus]], king of [[Tiryns]] in [[Argolis]].

Amphitryon ("harassing either side") was a [[Thebes|Theban]] general, who was originally from [[Tiryns]] in the eastern part of the [[Peloponnese]]. He was friends with [[Panopeus]].

Having accidentally killed his uncle, [[Electryon]], king of [[Mycenae]], Amphitryon was driven out by another uncle, [[Sthenelus]]. He fled with [[Alcmene]], [[Electryon]]'s daughter, to [[Thebes]], where he was cleansed from the guilt of blood by [[Creon]], his maternal uncle, king of Thebes.

Alcmene, who had been betrothed to Amphitryon by her father, refused to marry him until he had avenged the death of her brothers, all of whom except one had fallen in battle against the Taphians. It was on his return from this expedition that Electryon had been killed. Amphitryon accordingly took the field against the Taphians, accompanied by Creon, who had agreed to assist him on condition that he slew the [[Teumessian fox]] which had been sent by [[Dionysus]] to ravage the country.

The [[Taphian|Taphians]], however, remained invincible until [[Comaetho]], the king's daughter, out of love for Amphitryon cut off her father's golden hair, the possession of which rendered him immortal. Having defeated the enemy, Amphitryon put Comaetho to death and handed over the kingdom of the Taphians to [[Cephalus]]. On his return to Thebes he married Alcmene, who gave birth to twin sons, [[Iphicles]] being the son of Amphitryon,
[[Heracles]] of [[Zeus]], who had visited her during Amphitryon's absence.

While Amphitryon was gone, [[Zeus]] came to Alcmene disguised as her husband. The result was [[Heracles]]. Later, Amphitryon and Alcmene had a son named [[Iphicles]].

He fell in battle against the Minyans, against whom he had undertaken an expedition, accompanied by the youthful Heracles, to deliver Thebes from a disgraceful tribute. According to [[Euripides]] he survived this expedition, and was slain by his son in his madness.

==Dramatic treatments==
<cite>Amphitryon</cite> was the title of a lost tragedy of [[Sophocles]], but most dramatic treatments are comic. Plautus, the Roman comedian, used this tale to present a burlesque play, similar to the later [[Aristophanes|Aristophanic]] stories except with a tragic side.

{{Credit wikipedia}}

[[Category:Greek mythological people]]
[[Category:Ancient Greek plays]

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:20, April 23, 2006
Line 21:		Line 21:

	[[Category:Greek mythological people]]		[[Category:Greek mythological people]]
−	[[Category:Ancient Greek plays]	+	[[Category:Ancient Greek plays]]

Amphitryon - Revision history

Irlandos: /* Dramatic treatments */

Irlandos at 14:19, April 23, 2006