Oenomaus

• a king of Elis and Pisa, the father of Hippodamia, grandfather of Atreus and Thyestes, and father-in-law of Pelops, Hyg. Fab. 8, 4; 250; Enn. ap. Cic. Tusc. 3, 12, 26 (Trag. v. 398 Vahl.); Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 4; Stat. Th. 1, 274.—
• II The title of a tragedy of Attius: Oenomao tuo nihil utor, Cic. Fam. 9, 16, 4; cf. id. ib. § 7.

(Οἰνόμαος). a son of Ares and Harpinna, the daughter of Asopus, and husband of the Pleiad Sterope, by whom he became the father of Hippodameia, was king of Pisa in Elis (Apollod. 3.10.1; Paus. 5.10.2, 22.5, 6.2.6). According to others he was a son of Ares and Sterope (Schol. ad Hom. Il. 18.486; Hyg. Fab. 84, 159), or a son of Alxion (Paus. 5.1.5), or of Hyperechus and Sterope (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 149). An oracle had declared that he should die if his daughter should marry, and he therefore made it a condition that those who came forward as suitors for Hippodameia's hand should contend with himself in the chariot-race, and he who conquered should receive her, whereas those that were conquered should suffer death. The race-course extended from Pisa to the altar of Poseidon, on the Corinthian isthmus. At the moment when a suitor started with Hippodameia, Oenomaus sacrificed a ram to Zeus at Pisa, and then armed himself and hastened with his swift chariot and four horses, guided by Myrtilus, after the suitor. He thus overtook many a lover, whom he put to death, until Pelops, the son of Tantalus, came to Pisa. Pelops bribed Myrtilus, and using the horses which he had received from Poseidon, he succeeded in reaching the goal before Oenomaus, who in despair made away with himself. Thus Pelops obtained IIippodameia and the kingdom of Pisa (Diod. 4.73; Hyg. Fab. 84; Schol. ad Apollon. Rhod. 1.752, ad Pind. Ol. 1.114; Ov. Ib. 365, &c.). There are some variations in this story. as e. g. that Oenomaus was himself in love with his daughter, and for this reason slew her lovers (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 156; Hyg. Fab. 253). Myrtilus also is said to have loved her, and as she wished to possess Pelops, she persuaded Myrtilus to take the nails out of the wheels of her father's chariot; and as Oenomaus was breathing his last he pronounced a curse upon Myrtilus, and this curse had its desired effect, for as Pelops refused to give to Myrtilus the reward he had promised, or as Myrtilus had attempted to dishonour Hippodameia, Pelops thrust him down from Cape Geraestus. But Myrtilus, while dying, likewise pronounced a curse upon the house of Pelops, which was afterwards the cause of the fatal occurrences in the life of Atreus and Thyestes (Tzetz. ad Lyc. 156). All the suitors that had been killed by Oenomaus, were buried in one common tomb (Paus. 6.21.6, &c.). The tomb of Oenomaus himself was shown on the river Cladeus in Elis (6.21.3). His house was destroyed by lightning, and only one pillar of it remained standing (5.20.3, 14.5; comp. 5.17.4, 10.2; Soph. Elect. 504, &c.; Völcker, Mythol. des Japet. Geschl. p. 361). [L.S]

(Οἰνόμαος).

1. of Gadara, a cynic philosopher, who flourished in the reign of Hadrian, or somewhat later, but before Porphyry. (Syncell. p. 349b.; Suid. s. v.) He was one of those later cynics whose philosophy consisted not so much in any definite system of doctrine, as in a free and unrestrained tone of thought and life. Thus the emperor Julian charges him with sensuality and profaneness; and his sarcasms upon the old cynic doctrines have led some to suppose, but without reason, that he belonged to some other sect. (Julian, Orat. vi. p. 199, vii. p. 209, ed. Spanheim.) Works Works mentioned by Suidas

Suidas mentions, as his works, Περὶ Κυνισμοῦ Πολιτεία Περὶ τῆς καθ̓ Ὃμηρον Φιλοσοφίας Περὶ Κράτητος καὶ Διορένους καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν. Κατα τῶν χρηστηρίων

This list, however, does not include the work which is best known to us, namely, his exposure of the oracles, which is sometimes entitled Κατα τῶν χρηστηρίων, but the proper title seems to have been Γοήτων Φωρά., i. e. Detectio Praestigiatorum, Considerable extracts from this work are preserved by Eusebius, who tells us that Oenomaus was provoked to write it in consequence of having been himself deceived by an oracle. (Euseb. Praep. Evang. 5.18, foll., 6.7; Socrat. H. E. 4.13 ; Niceph. x 36; Theodoret. Therap. vi. p. 86, x. p. 141a.) Tragedies

Julian also speaks of tragedies by Oeno maus (Orat. vii. p. 210).

2. An epigrammatic poet, the author of a single distich upon Eros, inscribed on a drinking vessel. There is nothing to determine whether or no he was the same person as the philosopher (Brunck, Anal. vol. ii. p. 402; Jacobs, Anth. Graec. vol. iii. p. 110.)

3. Atragic poet. [Diogenes, p. 1023.] [P.S]

(Οἰνόμαος). (1) King of Pisa in Elis, son of Ares and father of Hippodamia. An oracle had warned him that he should perish by the hands of his son-in-law; and as his horses were swifter than those of any other mortal, he declared that all who came forward as suitors for Hippodamia's hand should contend with him in a chariot-race, that whoever conquered should receive her, and that whoever was conquered should suffer death. The race-course extended from Pisa to the altar of Poseidon, on the Corinthian Isthmus. The suitor started with Hippodamia in a chariot, and Oenomaüs then hastened with his swift horses after the lovers. He had overtaken and slain many a suitor, when Pelops, the son of Tantalus, came to Pisa. Pelops bribed Myrtilus, the charioteer of Oenomaüs, to take out the linch-pins from the wheels of his master's chariot, and Pelops received from Poseidon a golden chariot and horses of great swiftness. In the race which followed, the chariot of Oenomaüs broke down, and he fell out and was killed. Thus Pelops obtained Hippodamia and the kingdom of Pisa.

There are some variations in this story, such as that Oenomaüs was himself in love with his own daughter, and for this reason slew her lovers. Myrtilus also is said to have loved Hippodamia, and as she favoured the suit of Pelops, she persuaded Myrtilus to take the linch-pins out of the wheels of her father's chariot. As Oenomaüs was breathing his last, he pronounced a curse upon Myrtilus. This curse had its desired effect, for as Pelops refused to give to Myrtilus the reward he had promised, or else because Myrtilus had attempted to dishonour Hippodamia, Pelops thrust him down from Cape Geraestus. Myrtilus, while dying, likewise pronounced a curse upon Pelops, which was the cause of all the calamities that afterwards befell his house. (See Pelops.) The tomb of Oenomaüs was shown on the river Cladeus, in Elis. His house was destroyed by lightning, and only one pillar of it remained standing.

(2) Of Gadara, a Cynic philosopher, who flourished in the reign of Hadrian, or somewhat later. He wrote a work to expose the oracles, of which considerable fragments are preserved by Eusebius (Praep. Ev. v. 18; vi. 7).

• son of Alxion or Ares and Harpina: Paus. 5.1.6, Paus. 5.22.6, Paus. 6.21.8, Paus. 8.20.2
• husband of Sterope: Apollod. 3.10.1
• father of Hippodamia: Apollod. 2.4.1, Paus. 5.11.6and of Leucippus: Paus. 8.20.2
• founds city of Harpina: Paus. 6.21.8
• sacrifices to warlike Zeus: Paus. 5.14.6
• king of Pisa, offers the hand of his daughter Hippodamia to the victor in a chariot-race: Apollod. 2.4.2, Apollod. 2.4.3
• races and slays his daughter's suitors: Paus. 5.14.6, Paus. 6.21.7-11, Paus. 8.14.10ff.
• cuts off the heads of unsuccessful suitors: Apollod. 2.4.3
• races Pelops: Paus. 5.10.6ff., Paus. 5.17.7
• betrayed by his charioteer Myrtilus: Paus. 8.14.11
• deposed by Pelops: Paus. 5.1.6
• dragged to death by his horses or killed by Pelops: Apollod. 2.4.3
• his grave: Paus. 6.21.3
• house: Paus. 5.14.7, Paus. 5.20.6ff.
• pillar: Paus. 5.20.6-8, Paus. 6.18.7
• stables: Paus. 6.21.3
• represented in gable of temple of Zeus: Paus. 5.10.6ff. and on chest of Cypselus: Paus. 5.17.7
• balks charioteers in race at Olympia: Paus. 6.20.17