Adrastus
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- king of Argos, father-in-law of Tydeus and Polynices, who, acc. to the fable, saw them both die, and turned so pale from grief that he never recovered his former complexion; hence: pallor Adrasti, Verg. A. 6, 480 Serv.; cf. Ov. P. 1, 3, 79; id. F. 6, 433; Stat. Th. 4, 74 al.
(Ἄδραστος), a son of Talaus, king of Argos, and of Lysimache. (Apollod. 1.9.13.) Pausanias (2.6.3) calls his mother Lysianassa, and Hyginus (Hyg. Fab. 69) Eurynome. (Comp. Schol. ad Eurip. Phoen. 423.) During a feud between the most powerful houses in Argos, Talaus was slain by Amphiaraus, and Adrastus being expelled from his dominions fled to Polybus, then king of Sicyon. When Polybus died without heirs, Adrastus succeeded him on the throne of Sicyon, and during his reign he is said to have instituted the Nemean games. (Hom. Il. 2.572; Pind. N. 9.30, &c.; Hdt. 5.67; Paus. 2.6.3.) Afterwards, however, Adrastus became reconciled to Amphiaraus, gave him his sister Eriphyle in marriage, and returned to his kingdom of Argos. During the time he reigned there it happened that Tydeus of Calydon and Polynices of Thebes, both fugitives from their native countries, met at Argos near the palace of Adrastus, and came to words and from words to blows. On hearing the noise, Adrastus hastened to them and separated the combatants, in whom he immediately recognised the two men that had been promised to him by an oracle as the future husbands of two of his daughters; for one bore on his shield the figure of a boar, and the other that of a lion, and the oracle was, that one of his daughters was to marry a boar and the other a lion. Adrastus therefore gave his daughter Deipyle to Tydeus, and Argeia to Polynices, and at the same time promised to lead each of these princes back to his own country. Adrastus now prepared for war against Thebes, although Amphiaraus foretold that all who should engage in it should perish, with the exception of Adrastus. (Apollod. 3.6.1, &c.; Hyg. Fab. 69, 70.)
Thus arose the celebrated war of the " Seven against Thebes," in which Adrastus was joined by six other heroes, viz. Polynices, Tydeus, Amphiaraus, Capaneus, Hippomedon, and Parthenopaeus. Instead of Tydeus and Polynices other legends mention Eteoclos and Mecisteus. This war ended as unfortunately as Amphiaraus had predicted, and Adrastus alone was saved by the swiftness of his horse Areion, the gift of Heracles. (Hom. Il. 23.346, &c.; Paus. 8.25.5; Apollod. 3.6.) Creon of Thebes refusing to allow the bodies of the six heroes to be buried, Adrastus went to Athens and implored the assistance of the Athenians. Theseus was persuaded to undertake an expedition against Thebes; he took the city and delivered up the bodies of the fallen heroes to their friends for burial. (Apollod. 3.7.1 Paus. 9.9.1.)
Ten years after this Adrastus persuaded the seven sons of the heroes, who had fallen in the war against Thebes, to make a new attack upon that city, and Amphiaraus now declared that the gods approved of the undertaking, and promised success. (Paus. 9.9.2; Apollod. 3.7.2.) This war is celebrated in ancient story as the war of the Epigoni (Ἐπίγονοι). Thebes was taken and razed to the ground, after the greater part of its inhabitants had left the city on the advice of Tiresias. (Apollod. 3.7.2-4; Hdt. 5.61; Strab. vii. p.325.) The only Argive hero that fell in this war, was Aegialeus, the son of Adrastus. After having built a temple of Nemesis in the neighbourhood of Thebes [Adrasteia], he set out on his return home. But weighed down by old age and grief at the death of his son he died at Megara and was buried there. (Paus. 1.43.1.) After his death he was worshipped in several parts of Greece, as at Megara (Paus. l.c.), at Sicyon where his memory was celebrated in tragic choruses (Hdt. 5.67), and in Attica. (Paus. 1.30.4.) The legends about Adrastus and the two wars against Thebes have furnished most ample materials for the epic as well as tragic poets of Greece (Paus. 9.9.3), and some works of art relating to the stories about Adrastus are mentioned in Pausanias. (3.18.7, 10.10.2.)
From Adrastus the female patronymic Adrastine was formed. (Hom. Il. 5.412.) [L.S]
(Ἄδραστος), a son of the Phrygian king Gordius, who had unintentionally killed his brother, and was in consequence expelled by his father aud deprived of everything. He took refuge as a suppliant at the court of king Croesus, who purified him and received him kindly. After some time he was sent out as guardian of Atys, the son of Croesus, who was to deliver the country from a wild boar which had made great havoc all around. Adrastus had the misfortune to kill prince Atys, while he was aiming at the wild beast. Croesus pardoned the unfortunate man, as he saw in this accident the will of the gods and the fulfilment of a prophecy; but Adrastus could not endure to live longer and killed himself on the tomb of Atys. (Hdt. 1.35-45.) [L.S]
(Ἄδραστος), of Aphrodisias, a Peripatetic philosopher, who lived in the second century after Christ, the author of a treatise on the arrangement of Aristotle's writings and his system of philosophy, quoted by Simplicius (Praefat. in viii. lib. Phys.), and by Achilles Tatius (p. 82). Some commentaries of his on the Timaeus of Plato are also quoted by Porphyry (p. 270, in Harmonica Ptolemaci), and a treatise on the Categories of Aristotle by Galen. None of these have come down to us; but a work on Harmonics, περὶ Ἁρμονικῶν, is preserved, in MS., in the Vatican Library. [B.J]
(Ἄδραστος). (1) Son of Talaüs of Argos. Being expelled from Argos by Amphiaraüs, he fled to Polybus, king of Sicyon, whom he succeeded on the throne of Sicyon, and instituted the Nemean games. Afterwards he became reconciled to Amphiaraüs, and returned to his kingdom of Argos. He married his two daughters Deïpylé and Argia, the former to Tydeus of Calydon, and the latter to Polynices of Thebes, both fugitives from their native countries. He then prepared to restore Polynices to Thebes, who had been expelled by his brother Eteocles, although Amphiaraüs (q.v.) foretold that all who should engage in the war would perish, with the exception of Adrastus. Thus arose the celebrated war of the “Seven against Thebes,” in which Adrastus was joined by six other heroes, viz., Polynices, Tydeus, Amphiaraüs, Capaneus, Hippomedon, and Parthenopaeus. This war ended as unfortunately as Amphiaraüs had predicted, and Adrastus alone was saved by the swiftness of his horse Arion , the gift of Heracles. Ten years afterwards, Adrastus persuaded the six sons of the heroes who had fallen in the war to make a new attack upon Thebes, and Amphiaraüs now promised success. This war is known as the war of the Epigoni (ἐπίγονοι), or descendants. Thebes was taken and razed to the ground. The only Argive hero that fell in this war was Aegialeus, the son of Adrastus: the latter died of grief at Megara on his return to Argos, and was buried in the former city. The legends about Adrastus and the two wars against Thebes furnished ample materials for the epic as well as tragic poets of Greece.
(2) Son of the Phrygian king Gordius, having unintentionally killed his brother, fled to Croesus, who received him kindly. While hunting, he accidentally killed Atys, the son of Croesus, and in despair put an end to his own life.
- fights on Greek side in Lamian war: Paus. 7.6.6
- Apollod. 3.12.3
- Apollod. 1.9.13, Hdt. 5.67, Paus. 8.25.9, Paus. 10.10.3
- a Phoronid: Paus. 7.17.7
- father of Aegialia: Apollod. 1.8.6
- married to Amphithea: Apollod. 1.9.13
- king of Argos: Apollod. 3.6.1
- holds Nemean games for first time: Paus. 10.25.7
- one of the victors in the Nemean games: Apollod. 3.6.4
- marries his daughters to the exiles Tydeus and Polynices, and promises to restore both to their native lands: Apollod. 3.6.1
- marches against Thebes: Apollod. 1.8.5, Paus. 9.4.2, Paus. 9.9.2, 3
- musters an army with seven leaders and makes war on Thebes: Apollod. 3.6.2
- stationed at the Homoloidan gate of Thebes: Apollod. 3.6.5
- alone of the Seven Champions saved by his horse Arion: Apollod. 3.6.8
- flies to Athens and prays the Athenians to bury the Argive dead: Apollod. 3.6.8, Apollod. 3.7.1
- father of Aegialeus: Apollod. 3.7.2
- flees from Argos to Sicyon, of which he becomes king: Paus. 2.6.6
- makes sanctuary of Hera, and altars of Pan and Sun: Paus. 2.11.1, 2
- owns horse Arion: Paus. 8.25.8, 10
- implores aid of Theseus: Paus. 1.39.2
- leads Argives against Thebes:
- stops fight between Amphiaraus and Lycurgus: Paus. 3.18.12
- dies at Megara: Paus. 1.43.1
- revered by Megarians: Paus. 1.43.1
- shrine at Colonus Hippius: Paus. 1.30.4
- house at Argos: Paus. 2.23.2
- statue at Delphi: Paus. 10.10.3
- a Phrygian refugee at Croesus' court: Hdt. 1.35-45
- a Trojan ally: Apollod. E.3.34
- Paus. 2.20.5