Proetus
- a king of Tiryns, brother of Acrisius, Ov. M. 5, 238 sq. —Proetĭdes, um, f., = Προιτιδες, his daughters, who being punished with madness by Juno for their pride, imagined themselves to be cows: Proetides implerunt falsis mugitibus agros, Verg. E. 6, 48; Ov. M. 15, 326; Plin. 25, 5, 21, § 47.
(Προῖτος).
1. A son of Abas and Ocaleia, and a twin-brother of Acrisius. In the dispute between the two brothers for the kingdom of Argos, Proetus was defeated and expelled (Paus. 2.25.6). The cause of this quarrel is traced by some to the conduct of Proetus towards Danai, the daughter of Acrisius (Apollod. 2.4.1), and Ovid (Ov. Met. 5.238) represents Acrisius as expelled by Proetus, and Perseus, the grandson of Acrisius, avenges his grandfather by changing Proetus into a block of stone, by means of the head of Medusa. But according to the common tradition, Proetus, when expelled from Argos, fled to Jobates or Amphianax in Lycia, and married his daughter Anteia or Stheneboea (Hom. Il 6.160; Eustath. ad Hom. p. 630, &c.; comp. Serv. ad Virg. Eclog. 6.48). Jobates, thereupon, restored Proetus to his kingdom by armed force. Tirynth was taken and fortified by the Cyclopes (Schol. ad Eurip. Orest. 953; Paus. 2.16.4), and Acrisius then shared his kingdom with his brother, surrendering to him Tirynth, i. e. the Heraeum, Midea and the coast of Argolis (Paus. 2.16.2). By his wife Proetus became the father of three daughters, Lysippe, Iphinoe, and Iphianassa (Servius, l.c., calls the two last Hipponoe and Cyrianassa, and Aelian, V.H. 3.42, mentions only two daughters, Elege and Celaene). When these daughters arrived at the age of maturity, they were stricken with madness, the cause of which is differently stated by different authors; some say that it was a punishment inflicted upon them by Dionysus, because they had despised his worship (Apollod. l.c. ; Diod. 4.68), and according to others, by Hera, because they presumed to consider themselves more handsome than the goddess, or because they had stolen some of the gold of her statue (Serv. ad Virg. Ecl. 6.48). In this state of madness they wandered through Peloponnesus. Melampus promised to cure them, if Proetus would give him one third of his kingdom. As Proetus refused to accept these terms, the madness of his daughters not only increased, but was communicated to the other Argive women also, so that they murdered their own children and ran about in a state of frenzy. Proetus then declared himself willing to listen to the proposal of Melampus; but the latter now also demanded for his brother Bias an equal share of the kingdom of Argos. Proetus consented (Herod. 9.34; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. 9.30), and Melampus having chosen the most robust among the young men, gave chase to the mad women, amid shouting and dancing, and drove them as far as Sicyon. During this pursuit, Iphinoe, one of the daughters of Proetus, died, but the two others were cured by Melampus by means of purifications, and were then married to Melampus and Bias. There was a tradition that Proetus had founded a sanctuary of Hera, between Sicyon and Titane, and one of Apollo at Sicyon (Paus. 2.7.7, 12.1). The place where the cure was effected upon his daughters is not the same in all traditions, some mentioning the well Anigros (Strab. viii. p.346), others the well Cleitor in Arcadia (Ov. Met. 15.325), or Lusi in Arcadia (Paus. 8.18.3). Some even state that the Proetides were cured by Asclepius. (Pind. P. 3.96.)
Besides these daughters, Proetus had a son, Megapenthes (Apollod. 2.2.2; comp. Megapenthes). When Bellerophontes came to Proetus to be purified of a murder which he had committed, the wife of Proetus fell in love with him, and invited him to come to her : but, as Bellerophontes refused to comply with her desire, she charged him before Proetus with having made improper proposals to her. Proetus then sent Bellerophontes to Jobates in Lycia, with a letter in which Jobates was desired to murder Bellerophontes. (Hom. Il. 6.157, &c.; Apollod. 2.3.1; Tzetz. ad Lyc. 17 ; comp. Hipponous.)
2. A son of Thersander and father of Maera. (Paus. 10.30.; Schol. ad Od. 11.325.) [L.S]
(Προῖτος). Son of Abas and Ocale, and twin-brother of Acrisius. In the dispute between the two brothers for the kingdom of Argos Proetus was expelled, whereupon he fled to Iobatos, in Lycia, and married Antea or Stheneboea, the daughter of the latter. With the assistance of Iobates, Proetus was restored to his kingdom, and took Tiryns, which was now fortified by the Cyclopes. Acrisius then shared his kingdom with his brother, surrendering to him Tiryns, Midea, and the coast of Argolis. By his wife, Proetus became the father of three daughters, Lysippé, Iphinoë, and Iphianassa, who are often mentioned under the general name of Proetides. When these daughters arrived at the age of maturity, they were stricken with madness, the cause of which is differently explained. Some say that it was a punishment inflicted upon them by Dionysus, because they had despised his worship; others relate that they were driven mad by Heré, because they presumed to consider themselves more handsome than the goddess, or because they had stolen some of the gold of her statue. The frenzy spread to the other women of Argos; till at length Proetus agreed to divide his kingdom between Melampus and his brother Bias , upon the former promising that he would cure the women of their madness. Melampus then chose the most robust among the young men, gave chase to the mad women, amid shouting and dancing, and drove them as far as Sicyon. During this pursuit, Iphinoë died, but the two other daughters were cured by Melampus by means of purifications, and were then married to Melampus and Bias. The place where the cure was effected upon his daughters is not the same in all traditions, some mentioning the well Anigros, others the fountain Clitor in Arcadia, or Lusi in Arcadia. Besides these daughters, Proetus had a son, Megapenthes. When Bellerophon came to Proetus to be purified of a murder which he had committed, the wife of Proetus fell in love with him; but, as Bellerophon declined her advances, she charged him before Proetus with having made improper proposals to her. Proetus then sent Bellerophon to Iobates in Lycia, with a letter desiring the latter to murder Bellerophon. (See Bellerophon.) According to Ovid (Met. v. 238) Acrisius was expelled from his kingdom by Proetus; and Perseus, the grandson of Acrisius, avenged his grandfather by turning Proetus into stone by means of the head of Medusa. See Perseus.
- Paus. 9.8.4
- king of Argos: Paus. 2.4.2, Paus. 2.12.2, Paus. 2.16.2
- twin son of Abas, expelled by his twin brother Acrisius from Argos: Apollod. 2.1.5
- ancestor of Capaneus and Eteoclus: Paus. 10.10.3
- fights Acrisius for kingdom: Paus. 2.25.7
- goes to lobates in Lycia: Apollod. 2.1.5
- marries Antia or Stheneboea: Apollod. 2.1.5
- returns and reigns over Tiryns: Apollod. 2.2.1
- divides kingdom with his brother Acrisius, taking Heraeum, Midea, Tiryns and coast: Paus. 2.16.2
- builds temple of Apollo: Paus. 2.7.8
- dedicates temple of Hera: Paus. 2.12.2
- walls of Tiryns made by Cyclopes for Proetus: Paus. 2.16.5
- traces of house of Proetus at Tiryns: Paus. 2.16.2
- daughters of Proetus healed of their madness by Melampus: Apollod. 2.2.1, Apollod. 2.2.2, Paus. 2.7.8, Paus. 5.5.10, Paus. 8.18.7ff.
- their chambers: Paus. 2.25.9
- their images: Paus. 2.9.8
- gives his daughters in marriage, with part of the kingdom, to Melampus and Bias: Apollod. 2.2.2
- purifies Bellerophon: Apollod. 2.2.2, Apollod. 2.3.1
- sends Bellerophon to Iobates with a treacherous letter: Apollod. 2.3.1
- said to have seduced Danae: Apollod. 2.4.1
- father of Maera: Paus. 10.30.5