Amphiaraus
- a distinguished Grecian seer, father of Alcmaeon and Amphilochus. Knowing that he was doomed to lose his life in the Theban war, he concealed himself in his house; but his wife, Eriphyle, was prevailed upon to betray him by the offer of a golden necklace, and he was compelled by Polynices to accompany him to the war, where he was swallowed up, with his chariot, in the earth, Cic. Div. 1, 40; Ov. P. 3, 1, 52.—
- II Derivv.
- A Amphĭărēus (five syll.), a, um, adj., Amphiarian: quadrigae Amphiariae, Prop. 3, 32, 39.—
- B Amphĭă-rāīdes, ae, m., a male descendant of Amphiaraus, i.e. Alcmaeon, Ov. F. 2, 43 (al. Amphĭărēïădes).
(Ἀμφιάραος), a son of Oicles and Hypermnestra, the daughter of Thestius. (Hom. Od. 15.244; Apollod. 1.8.2; Hyg. Fab. 73; Paus. 2.21.2.) On his father's side he was descended from the famous seer Melampus. (Paus. 6.17.4.) Some traditions represented him as ason of Apollo by Hypermnestra, which, however, is merely a poetical expression to describe him as a seer and prophet. (Hyg. Fab. 70.) Amphiaraus is renowned in ancient story as a brave hero : he is mentioned among the hunters of the Calydonian boar, which he is said to have deprived of one eye, and also as one of the Argonauts. (Apollod. 1.8.2, 9.16.) For a time he reigned at Argos in common with Adrastus ; but, in a feud which broke out between them, Adrastus took to flight. Afterwards, however, he became reconciled with Amplliaraus, and gave him his sister Eriphyle in marriage [Adrastus], by whom Amphiaraus became the father of Alcmaeon, Amphilochus, Eurydice, and Demonassa. On marrying Eriphyle, Amphiaraus had sworn, that he would abide by the decision of Eriphyle on any point in which he should differ in opinion from Adrastus. When, therefore, the latter called upon him to join the expedition of the Seven against Thebes, Amphiaraus, although he foresaw its unfortunate issue and at first refused to take any part in it, was nevertheless persuaded by his wife to join his friends, for Eriphyle had been enticed to induce her husband by the necklace of Harmonia which Polyneices had given her. Amphiaraus on leaving Argos enjoined his sons to avenge his death on their heartless mother. (Apollod. 3.6.2; Hyg. Fab. 73; Diod. 4.65; Hom. Od. 15.247, &c.) On their way to Thebes the heroes instituted the Nemean games, and Amphiaraus won the victory in the chariot-race and in throwing the discus. (Apollod. 3.6.4.) During the war against Thebes, Amphiaraus fought bravely (Pind. O. 6.26, &c.), but still he could not suppress his anger at the whole undertaking, and when Tydeus, whom he regarded as the originator of the expedition, was severely wounded by Melanippus, and Athena was hastening to render him immortal, Amphiaraus cut off the head of Melanippus, who had in the mean time been slain, and gave Tydeus his brains to drink, and Athena, struck with horror at the sight, withdrew. (Apollod. 3.6.8.) When Adrastus and Amphiaraus were the only heroes who survived, the latter was pursued by Periclymenus, and fled towards the river Ismenius. Here the earth opened before he was overtaken by his enemy, and swallowed up Amphiaraus together with his chariot, but Zeus made him immortal. (Pind. N. 9.57, Ol. 6.21, &c.; Plut. Parall. 6; Cic. de Divin. 1.40.) Henceforth Amphiaraus was worshipped as a hero, first at Oropus and afterwards in all Greece. (Paus. 1.34.2; Liv. 45.27.) He had a sanctuary at Argos (Paus. 2.23.2), a statue at Athens (1.8.3), and a heroum at Sparta. (Müller, Orchom. pp. 146, 486.) The departure of Amphiaraus from his home when he went to Thebes, was represented on the chest of Cypselus. (Paus. 5.17.4.) Respecting some extant works of art, of which Amphiaraus is the subject, see Grüneisen, Die alt griechische Bronze des Tux'schen Kabinets in Tübingen, Stuttg. and Tübing. 1835.
The prophetic power, which Amphiaraus was believed to possess, was accounted for by his descent from Melampus or Apollo, though there was also a local tradition at Phlius, according to which he had acquired them in a night which he spent in the prophetic house (οἶκος μαντικός) of Phlius. (Paus. 2.13.6; comp. 1.34.3.) He was, like all seers, a favourite of Zeus and Apollo. (Hom. Od. 15.245.) Respecting the oracle of Amphiaraus see Dict. of Ant. s. v. Oraculum. It should be remarked here, that Virgil (Aen. 7.671) mentions three Greek heroes as contemporaries of Aeneas, viz. Tiburtus, Catillus, and Coras, the first of whom was believed to be the founder of Tibur, and is described by Pliny (Plin. Nat. 16.87) as a son of Amphiaraus. [L.S]
(Ἀμφιάραος). An Argive, the son of Oïcles and Hypermnestra, great-grandson of the seer Melampus. In Homer he is a favourite of Zeus and Apollo, alike distinguished as a seer and a hero, who takes part in the Calydonian boar-hunt, in the voyage of the Argonauts, and in the expedition of the Seven against Thebes. Reconciled to Adrastus (q.v.) after a quarrel, and wedded to his sister Eriphylé, he agreed that any future differences between them should be settled by her. She, bribed by Polynices with the fatal necklace of his ancestress Harmonia, insisted on her husband joining the war against Thebes, though he foresaw that it would end fatally for him, and in departing charged his youthful sons Alcmaeon and Amphilochus (q.v.) to avenge his coming death. His wise warnings were unheeded by the other princes; his justice and prudence even brought him into open strife with the savage Tydeus; yet in the fatal closing contest he loyally avenged his death on the Theban Melanippus. In the flight, just as the spear of Periclymenus was descending on him, Zeus interposed to save the pious prophet and make him immortal by cleaving the earth open with his thunderbolt and bidding it swallow up Amphiaraüs, together with his trusty charioteer Baton, like himself a descendant of Melampus. From that time forth, Amphiaraüs was worshipped in various places as an oracular god, especially at Oropus on the frontier of Attica and Boeotia, where he had a temple and a famous oracle for the interpretation of dreams, and where games were celebrated in honour of him.
- Paus. 3.12.5, Paus. 6.17.6, Paus. 8.2.4
- a legendary Greek hero: Hdt. 3.91
- a Phoronid: Paus. 7.17.7
- a Melampodid: Paus. 2.23.2
- hunts the Calydonian boar: Paus. 8.45.7, Apollod. 1.8.2
- husband of Eriphyle: Apollod. 1.9.13, Paus. 5.17.7
- father of Alcmaeon and Amphilochus: Apollod. 3.7.2, Apollod. 1.4.1, Paus. 2.18.4, Paus. 5.17.7, Paus. 6.17.6, and of Eurydice and Demonassa: Paus. 5.17.7
- in the Argo: Apollod. 1.9.17
- fights Lycurgus, son of Phronax: Paus. 3.18.12
- slays Melanippus: Paus. 9.18.1
- begins to divine: Paus. 2.13.7
- departs from his house: Paus. 5.17.7ff.
- a seer, averse to the expedition of Adrastus against Thebes: Apollod. 3.6.1
- persuaded by his wife Eriphyle to go, he commands his sons to slay her: Apollod. 3.6.2
- one of the Seven against Thebes: Apollod. 3.6.3
- his prediction at Nemea: Apollod. 3.6.4
- one of the victors in the Nemean games: Apollod. 3.6.4
- cuts off head of Melanippus and gives it to Tydeus: Apollod. 3.6.8
- swallowed with his chariot in the earth: Apollod. 3.6.8, Paus. 1.34.2, Paus. 2.23.2, Paus. 9.8.3, Paus. 9.19.4
- made immortal: Paus. 8.2.4, Apollod. 3.6.8
- first worshipped at Oropus: Paus. 1.34.2
- sanctuary at Oropus: Paus. 1.34.2-5, at Argos: Paus. 2.23.2, at Sparta: Paus. 3.12.5
- images and statues: Paus. 1.8.2, Paus. 1.34.2, Paus. 8.45.7, Paus. 10.10.3
- altar: Paus. 1.34.3
- spring: Paus. 1.34.4, Paus. 2.37.5
- interprets dreams: Paus. 1.34.5
- his oracular shrine: Hdt. 1.46, Hdt. 1.49, Hdt. 1.52, Hdt. 1.92, Hdt. 8.134, Paus. 1.34.4
- forged oracles ascribed to him: Paus. 1.34.4
- mode of consulting him: Paus. 1.34.5