Nauplius
- a son of Neptune and Amymone, king of Euboea, and father of Palamedes. To avenge his son, whom the Greeks had put to death before Troy, he made false signal-fires on the shores of Euboea as the Greeks were returning homeward, and led them to shipwreck upon the rocks: Nauplius ultores sub noctem porrigit ignes, Prop. 4 (5), 1, 115; cf. Serv. Verg. A. 11, 260; Hyg. Fab. 116: Nauplii mala, Suet. Ner. 39.—Hence,
- II Nauplĭădes, ae, m., = Ναυπλιάδης, the son of Nauplius, i.e. Palamedes, Ov. M. 13, 39; 310; id. Ib. 621.
(Ναύπλιος).
1. A son of Poseidon and Amymone, of Argos, a famous navigator, and father of Proetus and Damastor (Apollon. 1.136, &c.; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 4.1091). He is the reputed founder of the town of Nauplia, which derived its name from him (Paus. 2.38.2, 4.35.2; Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 54). He is also said to have discovered the constellation of the great bear. (Theon, ad Arat. Phaen. 27; Paus. 8.48.5; Strab. viii. p.368.)
2. A son of Clytoneus, was one of the Argonauts and a descendant of Nauplius, No. 1. (Apollon. 1.134.)
3. A king of Euboea, and father of Palamedes, Oeax and Nausimedon, either by Clymene or Philyra or Hesione (Apollod. 2.1.4). Clymene was a daughter of Catreus, and she and her sister Aerope had been given by their father to Nauplius, who was to carry them to some foreign country; but Nauplius married Clymene, and gave Aerope to Pleisthenes, who became by her the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus (Apollod. 3.2.2). His son Palamedes had been condemned to death by the Greeks during the siege of Troy, and as Nauplius considered his condemnation to be an act of injustice, he watched for the return of the Greeks, and as they approached the coast of Euboea, he lighted torches on the most dangerous part of the coast. The sailors thus misguided suffered shipwreck, and perished in the waves or by the sword of Nauplius (Philostr. Her. 10.11; Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 422; Tzetz., ad Lycoph. 384; Hyg. Fab. 116). He is further said to have wreaked his vengeance on the Greeks by sending false messages to the wives of the heroes fighting at Troy, and thus to have led them to faithlessness towards their husbands or to self destruction. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 24; Tzetz., l.c.; Paus. 1.22.6.) [L.S]
(1) Son of Poseidon and Amymoné (see Danaüs; Pausan. ii. 38), founder of Nauplia (q.v.), and a famous navigator.
(2) A king of Euboea, husband of Clymené. (See Catreus.) After the unjust execution of his son Palamedes (q.v.) at the siege of Troy, the Greeks refused to give him the satisfaction he demanded. Thereupon he avenged his son's death by raising deceptive fire-signals, and stranding the returning Greeks among the breakers near the cliffs of Caphareus in Euboea. He thus caused the shipwreck and destruction of a large number, while he also put many others to the sword (Apollod.ii.1.4; iii. 2Apollod., 2; Hyg. Fab. 116). He is said to have finally thrown himself into the sea.
- Paus. 2.38.2, Paus. 4.35.2
- a wrecker: Apollod. 2.1.5, Apollod. 2.1.5
- receives Auge to sell into a foreign land: Apollod. 2.7.4
- receives Auge to put her to death: Apollod. 3.8.2
- ordered by Aleus to drown Auge: Paus. 8.48.7
- gives Auge to Teuthras: Apollod. 3.8.2, Apollod. 2.7.4
- receives Aerope and Clymene to sell into foreign lands: Apollod. 3.2.1
- marries Clymene: Apollod. 3.2.1
- his sons by Clymene, or Philyra, or Hesione: Apollod. 2.1.5
- father of Oeax and Palamedes: Apollod. 3.2.1
- father of Palamedes: Apollod. 3.13.88, Apollod. E.6.7
- demands satisfaction for the death of Palamedes: Apollod. E.6.7
- contrives that the Greek wives should be unfaithful: Apollod. E.6.7
- kindles false lights on Mount Caphereus and lures the Greeks on the breakers: Apollod. E.6.4, Apollod. E.6.7
- his sons slain by Pylades: Paus. 1.22.6