Adrastus
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In Greek mythology, Adrastus is the name of at least four individuals.
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[edit] Adrastus of Talaus
The best-known Adrastus (also spelt Adrestos or Adrastos, meaning "he who stands his ground") was a son of Talaus, and was one of the three kings at Argos, along with Iphis and Amphiaraus, who was married to Adrastus' sister Eriphyle. His daughters (Argea and Deipyle) married Polynices and Tydeus, respectively.
Adrastus was driven out of Argos, where he was king, because of a quarrel with the seer Amphiaraus. He fled to Sicyon, becoming king there after the death of Polybus and founding the Sicyonian games.
In time, Adrastus returned to Argos and was reconciled with Amphiarus, who then married his sister. During this time he was visited by Polynices and Tydeus. He married them to his daughters and raised an army for them to attack Thebes, because of an oracle he received. Adrastus was the only survivor of the battle which resulted, called the Seven Against Thebes.
When the sons of the seven champions grew to manhood and attacked Thebes once more (see Epigoni), Adrastus' son Aegialeus died in the fighting. Adrastus died at Megara while returning from that battle, from old age and grief.
[edit] Adrastus of Gordias
Another Adrastus (Greek: Ἄδρηστος) was the son of Gordias, king of Phrygia. He features prominently in Herodotos' story of King Croesus of Lydia. He killed his brother, unwittingly, and was driven out by his father. In Sardis he obtained purification (katharsis) from Croesus, and was accepted as a guest in the palace.
During this time a great boar came down from the Mysian Mount Olympus (a different mountain from the legendary home of the gods), which ravaged the lands of the Mysians; when they came out against it, they could inflict no harm upon it, but they suffered greatly in return. The Mysians sent messengers to the house of Croesus asking the king to send his son Atys with a party of men and dogs to aid them. Croesus initially refused to send his son, having had a dream warning of Atys' young death upon an iron spearpoint, but Atys succeeded in convincing him to let him go, making the point that no boar could wield an iron spear.
Croesus came to Adrastus then to ask him for a favour, asking that he guard and protect his son on the hunt, and Adrastus accepted and accompanied Atys there. Upon finding the boar, the party surrounded it in a circle and hurled spears at it; however, Adrastus missed his target and struck Atys a mortal blow. When the group came back bearing Atys' body, Adrastus held his hands out to King Croesus in supplication - he begged that he himself be ritually slaughtered over the prince's body, saying that he could no longer go on living with the blood-guilt of yet another person on his hands. Croesus refused him this, saying this was vengeance from the gods, not Adrastus' personal fault; nevertheless, Adrastus took his own life.
[edit] Reference
- Herodotos
[edit] Adrastus of Merops
In Greek mythology, a third Adrastus was the son of Merops, King of Percote, and brother to Amphius. Adrastus and Amphius led a military force from Adrastea, Apaesus, Pityeia and Tereia to the Trojan War - despite the entreaties of their father, a seer, who could foresee that death awaited them on the battlefield. Sure enough, Adrastus, son of Merops, was slain by King Agamemnon.
[edit] Adrastus, father of Eurydice
A fourth Adrastus, also from Greek mythology, was the father of Eurydice, the wife of King Ilus of Troy. He is otherwise unknown, but this Adrastus may be the eponym of the town or city of Adrastea in northwest Asia Minor, on the Hellespont.
