Amphion

Amphīon, ŏnis, m., = Ἀμφίων,

• son of Antiope by Jupiter, king of Thebes, and husband of Niobe; renowned for his music, by the magical power of which the stones came together for the building of the walls of Thebes, Hyg. Fab. 6 and 7; Hor. A. P. 394. He killed himself on account of grief for the loss of his children, who had been slain by the arrows of Apollo and Diana, Ov. M. 6, 221; 6, 271; 6, 402: Amphionis arces, i.e. Thebes, id. ib. 15, 427.—Whence, Amphīŏnĭus, a, um, adj., Amphionian: Amphioniae lyrae, Prop. 1, 9, 10.

Amphīōn, onis, Akk. onem u. (bei Dichtern) ona, m. (Ἀμφίων), Sohn des Jupiter u. der Antiope, der Tochter des thebanischen Nykteus, von der Mutter in der Gefangenschaft bei Lykus mit seinem Zwillingsbruder Zethus geboren u. ausgesetzt, von einem Rinderhirten gefunden u. erzogen, bildete sich, von Merkur (od. Apollo) mit einer Lyra beschenkt, zum Meister im Gesang u. Lyraspiel aus ( Verg. ecl. 2, 24), während der Bruder, ganz verschieden an Charakter (Hor. ep. 1, 18, 41), Hirt u. Jäger wurde. Antiope, inzwischen in ihrer Haft von der Dirke aus Eifersucht mißhandelt, bricht mit Hilfe Jupiters ihre Fesseln u. entflieht zu ihren Söhnen. Diese erkennen die Mutter (nach einigem Weigern von Seiten des Zethus, s. Prop. 3, 13, 29. Hyg. fab. 8) an, ziehen gegen Theben, töten den Lykus u. lassen die Dirke an einen Stier binden u. zu Tode schleifen (s. die Hauptst. Prop. 3, 13, 11 sqq.). Sie reißen hierauf die Herrschaft von Theben an sich u. befestigen die Stadt Theben mit einer Burg, wobei die Felsen des Kithäron den Zaubertönen des Amphion folgen u. sich von selbst zu einer Mauer zusammenfügen ( Hor. carm. 3, 11, 1 sqq.; de art. poët. 394): dah. Amphionis arces, die thebanischen, Ov. met. 15, 427. – Amphion heiratete die Niobe, des Tantalus Tochter, die ihm mehrere Söhne u. Töchter gebar; als sich aber Niobe der Latona gegenüber ihrer Fruchtbarkeit zu sehr rühmte, wurden alle ihre Kinder vor ihren Augen durch Apollos u. Dianas Pfeile getötet. Aus Gram über den Verlust seiner Kinder entleibte sich Amphion mit dem eigenen Schwert, Ov. met. 6, 270; vgl. übh. Hyg. fab. 7 sqq. – Niobe wurde auf dem einsamen Felsen des Sipylos in einen Stein verwandelt u. fühlte selbst als Stein noch das Leid, das ihr die Götter zugefügt, Ov. met. 6, 155 sqq.; vgl. Hyg. fab. 7 sqq. – Pacuvianus Amphio, Amphion in der nach ihm benannten Tragödie des Pakuvius, Cic. de div. 2, 133. – Dav. Amphīonius, a, um, amphionisch, des Amphion, lyra, Prop.: pecten, Sil.: ars, Musik, Sidon. – u. poet. = thebanisch, palaestra, Claud.: canes, Sen. poët.

Amphīōn, (13) ŏnis, m. (Ἀμφίων), Amphion [qui bâtit Thèbes en faisant mouvoir les pierres aux sons de sa lyre] : Hor. P. 394 || -īŏnĭus, a, um, dʼAmphion : Prop. 1, 9, 10.

Amphi'on

(Ἀμφίων).

1. A son of Zeus and Antiope, the daughter of Nycteus of Thebes, and twin-brother of Zethus. (Ov. Met. 6.110, &c.; Apollod. 3.5.5.) When Antiope was with child by the father of the gods, fear of her own father induced her to flee to Epopeus at Sicyon, whom she married. Nycteus killed himself in despair, but charged his brother Lycus to avenge him on Epopeus and Antiope. Lycus accordingly marched againt Sicyon, took the town, slew Epopeus, and carried Antiope with him to Eleutherae in Boeotia. During her imprisonment there she gave birth to two sons, Amphion and Zethus, who were exposed, but found and brought up by shepherds. (Apollod. l.c.) According to Hyginus (Hyg. Fab. 7), Antiope was the wife of Lycus, and was seduced by Epopeus. Hereupon she was repudiated by her husband, and it was not until after this event that she was visited by Zeus. Dirce, the second wife of Lycus, was jealous of Antiope, and had her put in chains; but Zeus helped her in escaping to mount Cithaeron, where she gave birth to her two sons. According to Apollodorus, she remained in captivity for a long time after the birth of her sons, who grew up among the shepherds, and did not know their descent. Hermes (according to others, Apollo, or the Muses) gave Amphion a lyre, who henceforth practised song and music, while his brother spent his time in hunting and tending the flocks. (Hor. Ep. 1.18. 41, &c.) The two brothers, whom Euripides (Eur. Phoen. 609) calls "the Dioscuri with white horses," fortified the town of Entresis near Thespiae, and settled there. (Steph. Byz. s. v.) Antiope, who had in the meantime been very ill-treated by Lycus and Dirce, escaped from her prison, her chains having miraculously been loosened; and her sons, on recognising their mother, went to Thebes, killed Lycus, tied Dirce to a bull, and had her dragged about till she too was killed, and then threw her body into a well, which was from this time called the well of Dirce. After having taken possession of Thebes, the two brothers fortified the town by a wall, the reasons for which are differently stated. It is said, that when Amphion played his lyre, the stones not only moved of their own accord to the place where they were wanted, but fitted themselves together so as to form the wall. (Apollon. 1.740, 755, with the Schol.; Syncell. p. 125d.; Horat. ad Pison. 394, &c.) Amphion afterwards married Niobe, who bore him many sons and daughters, all of whom were killed by Apollo. (Apollod. 3.5.6; Gellius, 20.7; Hyg. Fab. 7, 8; Hom. Od. 11.260, &c.; Paus. 9.5.4; comp. Niobe.) As regards the death of Amphion, Ovid (Ov. Met. 6.271) relates, that he killed himself with a sword from grief at the loss of his children. According to others, he was killed by Apollo because he made an assault on the Pythian temple of the god. (Hyg. Fab. 9.) Amphion was buried together with his brother at Thebes (or, according to Stephanus Byzantius, s. v. Τιθοραία, at Tithoraea), and the Tithoraeans believed, that they could make their own fields more fruitful by taking, at a certain time of the year, from Amphion's grave a piece of earth, and putting it on the grave of Antiope. For this reason the Thebans watched the grave of Amphion at that particular season. (Paus. 9.17.3, &c.) In Hades Amphion was punished for his conduct towards Leto. (9.5.4.) The following passages may also be compared: Paus. 2.6.2, 6.20.8; Propert. 3.13. 29. The punishment inflicted by Amphion and his brother upon Dirce is represented in one of the finest works of art still extant--the celebrated Farnesian bull, the work of Apollonius and Tauriscus, which was discovered in 1546, and placed in the palace Farnese at Rome. (Pliny, Plin. Nat. 36.4; Heyne, Antiquar. Aufsätze, ii. p. 182, &c.; comp. Müller, Orchom. p. 227, &c.)

Amphi'on

2. A son of Jasus and husband of Persephone, by whom he became the father of Chloris. (Hom. Od. 11.281, &c.) In Homer, this Amphion, king of Orchomenos, is distinct from Amphion, the husband of Niobe; but in earlier traditions they seem to have been regarded as the same person. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1684; Müller, Orchom. pp. 231, 370.)

There are three other mythical personages of this name, one a leader of the Epeians against Troy (Hom. Il. 13.692), the second one of the Argonauts (Apollon. 1.176; Orph. Arg. 214; Hvgin. Fab. 14), and the third one of the sons of Niobe. [Niobe.] [L.S]

Amphion

(Ἀμφίων).

1. A sculptor, son of Acestor, pupil of Ptolichus of Corcyra, and teacher of Piso of Calaureia, was a native of Cnossus, and flourished about B. C. 428 or 424. He executed a group in which Battus, the colonizer of Cyrene, was represented in a chariot, with Libya crowning him, and Cyrene as the charioteer. This group was dedicated at Delphi by the people of Cyrene. (Paus. 6.3.2, 10.15.4.)

Amphion

2. A Greek painter, was contemporary with Apelles (B. C. 332), who yielded to him in arrangement or grouping (cedcbat Amphioni dispositione, Plin. Nat. 25.36.10 : but the reading Amphioni is doubtful : Melaunthio is Brotier's conjecture ; Melanthius). [P.S]

Amphīōn onis, m

• , Αμφίων, a son of Jupiter, V., H., O.

Amphīon

(Ἀμφίων). The son of Zeus and Antiopé, and twin-brother of Zethus. They were born on Mt. Cithaeron, and grew up among the shepherds. Having become acquainted with their origin, they marched against Thebes, where Lycus reigned, the husband of their mother, Antiopé, who had married Dircé in her stead. They took the city, and killed Lycus and Dircé because they had treated Antiopé with great cruelty. They put Dircé to death by tying her to a bull, who dragged her about till she perished; and finally threw her body into a fountain, which was from this time called the fountain of Dircé. After they had obtained possession of Thebes, they fortified it by a wall. Amphion had received a lyre from Hermes, on which he played with such magic skill that the stones moved of their own accord and formed the wall. Amphion afterwards married Niobé, who bore him many sons and daughters, all of whom were killed by Apollo and Artemis, whereupon he put an end to his own life. See Niobé.

Amphion Amphion, a Corinthianof the Bacchiad clan

• grandfather of the despot Cypselus: Hdt. 5.92

Amphion(2), son of Epopeus and Antiope

• Paus. 2.6.4
• son of Zeus by Antiope, twin brother of Zethus: Apollod. 3.5.5, Apollod. vol. 1. 339
• father of Chloris: Apollod. 1.9.9
• father of Phylomache: Apollod. 1.9.9
• receives a lyre from Hermes and practises minstrelsy: Apollod. 3.5.5
• draws stones and beasts after him by music of lyre: Paus. 9.5.7ff., Paus. 9.17.7
• adds new strings to lyre: Paus. 9.5.7, Paus. 9.8.4
• in fortifying Thebes, the stones follow his lyre: Apollod. 3.5.5
• moves stones into walls by magic: Paus. 6.20.18
• marries Niobe: Apollod. 3.5.5
• children of A. and Niobe slain by Apollo and Artemis: Paus. 2.21.9
• pyre of children of A.: Paus. 9.17.2
• tombs of children of A.: Paus. 9.16.7
• house of A. desolated by pestilence: Paus. 9.5.9
• A. punished in hell for jeering at Latona: Paus. 9.5.7ff.

• Amphion and Zethus

Amphion(3), son of Acestor

• a Cnosian sculptor: Paus. 10.15.6
• pupil of Ptolichus: Paus. 6.3.5

Amphion(4), son of Amphion and Niobe

• survives his brothers: Apollod. 3.5.6

Amphion(5), son of Iasius

• Paus. 9.36.8