Athamas

Ăthămas, antis, m., = Ἀθάμας.

• • I.A Son of Aeolus, grandson of Hellen, king in Thessaly (first in Boeotia in Ἀθαμάντιον πεδίον, among the Orchomeni, O. Müll. Orchom. I. p. 161), the father of Helle and Phrixus by Nephele, and of Melicerta and Learchus by Ino; in a fit of madness he pursued Ino, who, with Melicerta, threw herself into the sea, and both were changed to sea-deities, Ino to Leucothea (Matuta), and Melicerta to Palaemon (Portunus), Ov. M. 3, 564; 4, 420 sq.; id. F. 4, 903; 6, 489; Hyg. Fab. 2; Serv. ad Verg. A. 5, 241; cf. Apollod. 3, p. 171; Paus. Att. p. 108: Athamante dementior, Cic. Pis. 20, 47.—
  • B Derivv.
  • • 1 Ăthămantēus, a, um, adj., = Ἀθαμαντεῖος, pertaining to Athamas, named after him, Athamantic: sinus, Ov. M. 4, 497: pinus, Stat. S. 5, 3, 143: aurum, i.e. the golden fleece of Phrixus, Mart. 8, 28.—
    • 2 Ăthămantĭădes, ae, m. patr., = Ἀθαμαντιάδης, son of Athamas, i.e. Palaemon, Ov. M. 13, 919 (this word also stands by conj. of Hertzberg in Prop. 4, 6, 22).—
    • 3 Ăthămantis ĭdis, f. patr., = Ἀθαμαντίς, daughter of Athamas, i.e. Helle, Ov. F. 4, 903; id. H. 18, 137.—
• II A mountain in Thessaly, Plin. 4, 8, 15, § 29.
• —Hence, Ăthă-mantĭcus, a, um, adj., = Ἀθαμαντικός, Athamantic: meum, a plant, bear's-wort: Athamanta meum, Linn.; Plin. 20, 23, 94, § 253 (by many of the ancients referred to Athamas, I., as named by him, v. Plin. l. l.).

Athamās (in Hdschrn. auch Athamāns), mantis, Akk. mantem u. manta, m. (Ἀθάμας), Sohn des Äolus, zeugte mit der Nephele (der Wolkengöttin) den Phrixus u. die Helle, mit der Ino den Melicertes u. Learchus. Ino verfolgte auf jede Art die Kinder der Nephele u. brachte einen Orakelspruch vor, dem zufolge zur Abwendung einer Unfruchtbarkeit des Landes Phrixus geschlachtet werden sollte. Nephele entrückte den Phrixus u. die Helle auf dem Widder mit dem goldenen Vliese (vgl. Phrixus). Durch den Zorn der Juno verlor Athamas jedoch auch seine übrige Familie; er selbst tötete den Learchus im Wahnsinn, u. Ino stürzte sich im Wahnsinn mit dem Melicertes ins Meer, worauf diese beiden zu hilfreichen Meergottheiten wurden, Ino zur Leukothea (von den Römern identifiziert mit der Matuta), Melicertes zum Palämon (bei den Römern identifiziert mit dem Portunus, d.i. Hafengott), Ov. met. 4, 421 sqq. Ov. fast. 6, 489. Cic. Pis. 47; vgl. Hyg. fab. 2. – Dav.: a) Athamantēus, a, um (Ἀθαμάντειος), athamantëisch, sinus, Ov.: pinus, der Fichtenkranz in den isthmischen, von Athamas eingeführten Spielen, Stat.: aurum, das goldene Vlies des Phrixus, Mart. – b) Athamantiadēs, ae, m. (Ἀθαμαντιάδης), der Athamantiade (d.i. Sohn des Athamas) = Palämon, Ov. met. 13, 919. – c) Athamantis, tidos, f. (Ἀθαμαντίς), die Athamantide (d.i. Tochter des Athamas) = Helle, Athamantis Helle, Ov. fast. 4, 903. Prop. 3, 22, 5 (wo Athamantidos Helles): gew. bl. Athamantis, Ov. met. 15, 311: Athamantidos undae, aequora, der Hellespont, Prop. 1, 20, 19. Ov. her. 18, 137. – d) Athamanticus, a, um (Ἀθαμαντικός), athamantisch, meum, eine Pflanze, Bärwurz (Athamantha meum, L.), Plin. 20, 253.

Ăthămās, (14) antis, m. , roi de Thèbes : Cic. Pis. 47 ; Ov. M. 3, 564 ; 4, 420 || Ăthămantēus, a, um, dʼAthamas : Ov. M. 4, 497 || -tĭădēs, æ, m. , fils dʼAthamas [Palémon] : Ov. M. 13, 919 || -tĭcus, a, um, dʼAthamas : Plin. 20, 253 || -tis, ĭdos, f. , fille dʼAthamas [Hellé] : Ov. F. 4, 903.

A'thamas

(Ἀθάμας), a son of Aeolus and Enarete, the daughter of Deimachus. He was thus a brother of Cretheus, Sisyphus, Salmoneus, &c. (Apollod. 1.7.3.) At the command of Hera, Athamas married Nephele, by whom he became the father of Phrixus and Helle. But he was secretly in love with the mortal Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, by whom he begot Learchus and Melicertes, and Nephele, on discovering that Ino had a greater hold on his affections than herself, disappeared in her anger. Misfortunes and ruin now came upon the house of Athamas, for Nephele, who had returned to the gods, demanded that Athamas should be sacrificed as an atonement to her. Ino, who hated the children of Nephele and endeavoured to destroy them, caused a famine by her artifices, and when Athamas sent messengers to Delphi to consult the oracle about the means of averting famine, Ino bribed them, and the oracle they brought back declared, that Phrixus must be sacrificed. When the people demanded compliance with the oracle, Nephele rescued Phrixus and Helle upon the ram with the golden fleece, and carried them to Colchis. Athamas and Ino drew upon themselves the anger of Hera also, the cause of which is not the same in all accounts. (Apollod. 3.4.3; Hyg. Fab. 2.) Athamas was seized by madness (comp. Cic. Tusc. 3.5, in Pison. 20), and in this state he killed his own son, Learchus, and Ino threw herself with Melicertes into the sea. Athamas, as the murderer of his son, was obliged to flee from Boeotia. He consulted the oracle where he should settle. The answer was, that he should settle where he should be treated hospitably by wild beasts. After long wanderings, he at last came to a place where wolves were devouring sheep. On perceiving him, they ran away, leaving their prey behind. Athamas recognized the place alluded to in the oracle, settled there, and called the country Athamsania, after his own name. He then married Themisto, who bore him several sons. (Apollod. 1.9.1, &c.; Htygin. Fab. 1-5.)

The accounts about Athamas, especially in their details, differ much in the different writers, and it seems that the Thessalian and Orchomenian traditions are here interwoven with one another. According to Pausanias (9.34.4), Athamas wished to sacrifice Phrixus at the foot of the Boeotian mountain Laphystius, on the altar dedicated to Zeus Laphystius, a circumstance which suggests some connexion of the mythus with the worship of Zeus Laphystius. (Müller, Orchom. p. 161, &c.) There are two other mythical personages of this name, the one a grandson of the former, who led a colony of Minyans to Teos (Paus. 7.3.3; Steph. Byz. s. v. Τέως), and the other a son of Oenopion, the Cretan, who had emigrated to Chios. (Paus. 7.4.6.) [L.S]

A'thamas

(Ἀθάμας), a Pythagorean philosopher, cited by Clemens of Alexandria. (Strom. vi. p. 624d. Paris, 1629.)

Athămas

(Ἀθάμας). The son of Aeolus and Enareté, and king of Orchomenus in Boeotia. At the command of Heré, Athamas married Nephelé, by whom he became the father of Phrixus and Hellé. (See Phrixus.) But he was secretly in love with the mortal Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, by whom he begot Learchus and Melicertes. Having thus incurred the anger both of Heré and of Nephelé, Athamas was seized with maduess, and in this state killed his own son, Learchus. Ino threw herself with Melicertes into the sea, and both were changed into marine deities—Ino becoming Leucothea, and Melicertes, Palaemon. Athamas, as the murderer of his son, was obliged to flee from Boeotia, and settled in Thessaly. Hence we have Athamantiades, son of Athamas, i. e. Palaemon; and Athamantis, daughter of Athamas, i. e. Hellé.

Athamas Athamas, a legendary Greek hero

• Hdt. 7.58
• ritual of human sacrifice connected with his family: Hdt. 7.197

Athamas(2), descendant of Athamas

• son of Aeolus, leads Minyans to Teos: Paus. 7.3.6

Athamas(3), son of Aeolus

• Apollod. 1.7.3, Paus. 7.3.6
• rules over Boeotia: Apollod. 1.8.6
• banished from Boeotia: Apollod. 1.9.1
• settles on Mount Laphystius: Paus. 9.34.7
• dwells in Athamantian plain: Paus. 9.24.1
• brother of Sisyphus: Paus. 9.34.7
• husband of Ino: Apollod. 3.4.2
• marries Themisto: Paus. 9.23.6, Apollod. 1.9.1
• father of Leucon: Paus. 6.21.11, of Phrixus: Paus. 1.24.2, and of Ptous: Paus. 9.23.6
• slays his son Learchus: Apollod. 1.9.1, Paus. 1.44.7, Paus. 9.34.7
• driven mad by Hera, hunts and kills his son Learchus as a deer: Apollod. 3.4.3
• purposes to sacrifice Phrixus and Helle: Paus. 9.34.5
• attempts to sacrifice his son Phrixus: Apollod. 1.8.6
• lays hands on his son Melicertes: Paus. 9.34.7
• adopts his nephew's sons: Paus. 9.34.7
• takes vengeance on Ino and her children: Paus. 1.44.7
• rears Dionysus as a girl: Apollod. 3.4.3

Athamas(4), son of Oenopion

• Paus. 7.4.8