Melampus
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- Son of Amythāon, a celebrated physician and soothsayer, Cic. Leg. 2, 13, 33; Verg. G. 3, 550; Stat. Th. 3, 452.—
- II Son of Atreus, Cic. N. D. 3, 21, 53.—
- III Name of a dog, Ov. M. 3, 206.
(Μελάμπους), a son of Amythaon by Eidomene, or according to others, by Aglaia or Plhodope (Apollod. 1.9.1; Diod. 4.68; Schol. ad Theocrit. 3.43), and a brother of Bias. He was looked upon by the ancients as the first mortal that had been endowed with prophetic powers, as the person that first practised the medical art, and established the worship of Dionysus in Greece (Apollod. 2.2.2). He is said to have been married to Iphianassa (others call her Iphianeira or Cyrianassa,--Diod. 4.68; Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.48), by whom he became the father of Mantius and Antiphates (Hom. Od. 15.225, &c.). Apoilodorus (1.9.13) adds a son, Ab s; and Diodorus calls his children Bias, Antiphates, Manto, and Pronoe (comp. Paus. 6.17.4). Melampus at first dwelt with Neleus at I'ylus, afterwards he resided for a time at Plhylace, near Mount Othrys, with Phylacus and Iphiclus. and at last ruled over a third of the territory of Argos (Hom. l.c.). At Aegosthena, in the north-western part of Megaris, he had a sanctuary and a statue, and an annual festival was there celebrated in his honour. (Paus. 1.44.8.)
With regard to his having introduced the worship of Dionysus into Greece, Herodotus (2.49) thinks that Melampus became acquainted with the worship of the Egyptian Dionysus, through Cadmus and the Phoenicians, and his connection with the Dionysiac religion is often alluded to in the ancient writers. Thus, we are told, for example, that he taught the Greeks how to mix wine with water (Athen. 2.45; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1816). Diodorus (1.97) further adds that Melampus brought with him from Egypt the myths about Crones and the fight of the Titans. As regards his prophetic power, his residence at Phylace, and his ultimate rule over a portion of Argos, the following traditions were current in antiquity. When Melampus lived with Neleus, he dwelt outside the town of Pylos, and before his house there stood an oak tree containing a serpent's nest. The old serpents were killed by his servants, and burnt by Melampus himself, who reared the young ones. One day, when they had grown up, and Melampus was asleep, they approached from both sides and cleaned his ears with their tongues. Being thus roused from his sleep, he started up, and to his surprise perceived that he now understood the language of birds, and that with their assistance he could foretell the future. In addition to this he acquired the power of prophesying, from the victims that were offered to the gods, and, after having had an interview with Apollo on the banks of the Alpheius, he became a most renowned soothsayer (Apollod. 1.9.11; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1685). During his stay with Neleus it happened that his brother Bias was one of the suitors for the hand of Pero, the daughter of Neleus, and Neleus promised his daughter to the man who should bring to him as a gift for the maiden, the oxen of Iphiclus, which were guarded by a dog whom neither man nor animal could approach. Melampus undertook the task of procuring the oxen for his brother, although he knew that the thief would be caught and kept in imprisonment for one whole year, after which he was to come into possession of the oxen. Things turned out as he had said; Melampus was thrown into prison, and in his captivity he learned front the wood-worms that the building in which he was would soon break down. He accordingly demanded to be let out, and as Phylacus and Iphiclus became thus acquainted with his prophetic powers, they asked him in what manner Iphiclus, who had no children, was to become father. Melampus, on the suggestion of a vulture, advised Iphiclus to take the rust from the knife with which Phylacus had once cut his son, and drink it in water during ten days. This was done, and Iphiclus became the father of Podarces. Melampus now received the oxen as a reward for his good services, and drove them to Pylos; he thus gained Pero for his brother, and henceforth remained in Messenia (Apollod. 1.9.12; Paus. 4.36.2; Schol. ad Theocrit. 3.43). His dominion over Argos is said to have been acquired in the following manner. In the reign of Anaxagoras, king of Argos, the women of the kingdom were seized with madness, and roamed about the country in a frantic state. Melampus cured them of it, on condition that he and his brother Bias should receive an equal share with Anaxagoras in the kingdom of Argos (Paus. 2.18.4; Diod. 4.68). Others, however, give the following account. The daughters of Proetus, Iphinoe, Lysippe and Iphianassa, were seized with madness, either because they opposed the worship of Dionysus (Diod. l.c.; Apollod. 1.9.12), or because they boasted of equalling Hera in beauty, or because they had stolen the gold from the statue of the goddess (Serv. ad Viry. Ecl. 6.48). Melampus promised to cure the women, if the king would give him one-third of his territory and one of his daughters in marriage. Proetus refused the proposal: but when the madness continued, and also seized the other Argive women, messengers came to Melampus to request his aid; but he now demanded two-thirds of the kingdom, one for himself, and the other for his brother. The demand was complied with, and with a band of youths, he pursued the women as far as Sicyon, with Bacchic shouts. Iphinoe died during the pursuit, but the surviving women were cured by purifications in a well, Anigrus, or in a temple of Artemis near Lusi, or in the town of Sicyon itself; and Melampus and Bias married the two daughters of Proetus. (Apollod. 2.2.2; Strab. viii. p.34(; Ov. Met. 15.322; Paus. 2.7.8, 8.18, in fin.; Hdt. 9.34; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 9.30.)
Another mythical personage of the same name occurs in Virgil (Aen. 10.320). [L.S]
(Μελάμπους), the author of two little Greek works still extant.
He lived probably in the third century B. C., as the Divinatio is addressed to "king Ptolemy," who is supposed by Fabricius (Biblioth. Gr. vol. i. p. 99, ed. vet.) to have been Ptolemy Philadelphus. Works
Περὶ Παλμῶν Μαντική, Divinatio ex Palpitatione, Περὶ Ἐλαιῶν τοῦ Σάματος, De Naevis Oleaceis in Corpore. Both the works (as might be anticipated from the titles) are full of superstitions and absurdities. Editions
They were first published in Greek by Camillus Peruscus, in his edition of Aelian's Varia Historia, &c., Rom. 1545, 4to. Translations
They were translated into Latin by Nicolaus Petreius, and published together with Meletius, De Natura Hominis, Venet. 1552, 4to. They have also been translated into French and German. The last and best edition is that by J. G. F. Franz, in his Scriptores Physiognomiae Veteres, Altenburg, 1780, 8vo. Further Information
Fabric. Bibl. Gr. vol. i. p. 99, ed. vet.; Choulant, Handb. d. Bücherkunde j ür die Aeltere Medicin, p. 415. [W.A.G]
an architect, of little note, who wrote Praecepta Symmetriarum. (Vitruv. vii. Praef. § 14.) [P.S]
(Μελάμπους). (1) The son of Amythaon (see Aeolus) and of Idomené; brother of Bias , the oldest Greek seer, and ancester of the family of seers called Melampodidae. The brothers went with their uncle Neleus from Thessaly to Pylus in Messenia, where they dwelt in the country. Melampus owed his gift of soothsaying to some serpents, which he had saved from death and reared, and who in return cleansed his ears with their tongues when he slept; on awaking he understood the voices of birds, and thus learned what was secret. When Neleus would only give Bias his beautiful daughter Pero on condition that he first brought him the oxen of Iphiclus of Phylacé in Thessaly, which were guarded by a watchful dog, Melampus offered to bring the oxen for his brother, though he knew beforehand that he would be imprisoned for a year. He was caught in the act of stealing them, and kept in strict confinement. From the talk of the worms in the woodwork of the roof he gathered that the house would soon fall to pieces. He thereupon demanded to be taken to another prison; and this was scarcely done when the house broke down. When, on account of this, Phylacus, father of Iphiclus, perceived his prophetic gifts, he promised him the oxen, if, by his art, he would find out some way of curing his son's childlessness. Melampus offered a bull to Zeus, cut it in pieces, and invited the birds to the meal. From these he heard that a certain vulture, that had not come, knew how it could be effected. This vulture was made to appear, and related that the defect in Iphiclus was the result of a sudden fright at seeing a bloody knife, with which his father had been castrating some goats; he had dug the knife into a tree, which had grown round about it; if he took some of the rust scraped off it, for ten days, he would be cured. Melampus found the knife, cured Iphiclus, obtained the oxen, and Bias received Pero for his wife.
Afterwards he went to Argos, because, according to Homer ( Od. xv. 225-240), Neleus had committed a serious offence against him in his absence, for which he had taken revenge; while, according to the usual account, he had been asked by king Proetus to heal his daughter, stricken with madness for acting impiously towards Dionysus or Heré. He had stipulated that his reward should be a third of the kingdom for himself, another for Bias ; besides which Iphianassa became his wife, and Lysippé that of Bias , both being daughters of Proetus. A descendant of his son Antiphates was Oïcles, who was a companion of Heracles in the expedition against Troy, and was slain in battle by Laomedon; he again was ancestor of the seer and hero Amphiaraüs. Descendants of his other son Mantius were Cleitus, whom Eos, the goddess of dawn, carried off on account of his beauty, and Polypheides, whom, after the death of Amphiaraüs, Apollo made the best of seers. The son of Polypheides was the seer Theoclymenus, who, flying from Argos on account of committing a murder, met Telemachus at Pylus, was led by him to Ithaca, and announced to Penelopé the presence in Ithaca of Odysseus and to the suitors their approaching death. The seer Polyidus (q.v.) was also said to be a great-grandson of Melampus. At Argos Melampus was held to be the first priest of Dionysus, and originator of mysterious customs at festivals and at ceremonies of expiation.
(2) The author of two short works in Greek on divination, who lived in the third century B.C. at Alexandria. Edition by Franz (Altenburg, 1780).
- Pythian victor in minstrelsy: Paus. 10.7.4
- his introduction of the cult of Dionysus into Greece: Hdt. 2.49
- ancestor of Megistias: Hdt. 7.221
- his demand of privileges at Argos: Hdt. 9.34
- son of Amythaon, brother of Bias: Apollod. 1.9.11; Paus. 2.18.4, Paus. 9.31.5
- learns soothsaying and the language of animals: Apollod. 1.9.11
- procures the kine of Phylacus for Neleus: Apollod. 1.9.11, Apollod. 1.9.12, Apollod. 1.9.13
- tells how Iphiclus may get a son: Apollod. 1.9.12, Apollod. 1.9.13
- heals the Argive women and daughters of Proetus of their madness: Apollod. 1.9.13,
- marries one of them: Apollod. 2.2.2
- Paus. 2.18.4, Paus. 5.5.10, Paus. 8.18.7ff.
- receives a third part of the kingdom of Argos: Apollod. 2.2.2
- purifies Alcathous of murder of his son: Paus. 1.43.5
- procures cows of Iphiclus: Paus. 4.36.3
- makes altar of Athena: Paus. 8.47.3
- shares kingdom of Argos with old king Anaxagoras: Paus. 2.18.4
- father of Abas: Apollod. 1.9.13; Paus. 1.43.5
- father of Mantius: Paus. 6.17.6
- his shrine and yearly festival at Aegosthena: Paus. 1.44.5
- the first to devise the cure by drugs and purification: Apollod. 2.2.2
- poem on Melampus attributed to Hesiod: Paus. 9.31.5