Brigadier General James Monroe Williams

In Greek mythology, Lycus (/ˈlaɪkəs/ LY-kəs; Ancient Greek: Λύκος, romanized: Lúkos, lit. 'wolf') was the son of King Lycus of Thebes, the brother of Nycteus.^[1] He appeared in Euripides's Heracles.

Genealogy

Royal house of Thebes family tree

Solid lines indicate descendants.
Dashed lines indicate marriages.
Dotted lines indicate extra-marital relationships or adoptions.
Kings of Thebes are numbered with bold names and a light purple background.
- Joint rules are indicated by a number and lowercase letter, for example, 5a. Amphion shared the throne with 5b. Zethus.
Regents of Thebes are alphanumbered (format AN) with bold names and a light red background.
- The number N refers to the regency preceding the reign of the N^th king. Generally this means the regent served the N^th king but not always, as Creon (A9) was serving as regent to Laodamas (the 10th King) when he was slain by Lycus II (the usurping 9th king).
- The letter A refers to the regency sequence. "A" is the first regent, "B" is the second, etc.
Deities have a yellow background color.

Harmonia

1.
Cadmus

Polyxo

A4.
Nycteus (Regent)

Dirce

B4 & A6.
Lycus (Regent)

3.
Polydorus

Nycteis

2.
Pentheus

4.
Labdacus

5a.
Amphion

5b.
Zethus

Menoeceus

Eurydice

A7, A8 & A9.
Creon (Regent)

6.
Laius

Hipponome

7.
Oedipus

8b.
Eteocles

8a.
Polynices

Pyrrha

Lycomedes

Ismene

9.
Lycus II

A12.
Peneleos (Regent)

10.
Laodamas

Demonassa

11.
Thersander

Opheltes

12.
Tisamenus

14.
Damasichthon

13.
Autesion

15.
Ptolemy

16.
Xanthos

Mythology

Originally from Euboea, Lycus seized power in Ancient Thebes (Boeotia) by killing King Creon who at the time was regent for the son of Eteocles, Laodamas. Lycus mistreated Creon's family, throwing them out of their house and depriving them food and clothing.^[2] However, Creon was the father-in-law of the hero Heracles, who returned unexpectedly to Thebes and slew Lycus. Laodamas succeeded him as king.^[3]

Regnal titles
Preceded by Creon	King of Thebes	Succeeded by Laodamas

Notes

^ Hyginus, Fabulae 31; Tzetzes on Lycophron, Alexandra 38
^ Euripides, Heracles 54
^ Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, Company, 1834, p. 352.

References

Euripides, Heracles, translated by E. P. Coleridge in The Complete Greek Drama, edited by Whitney J. Oates and Eugene O'Neill, Jr. Volume 1. New York. Random House. 1938. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 2. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Tripp, Edward, Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology, Thomas Y. Crowell Co; First edition (June 1970). ISBN 069022608X.

[1] Hyginus, Fabulae 31; Tzetzes on Lycophron, Alexandra 38

[2] Euripides, Heracles 54

[3] Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, Company, 1834, p. 352.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Kings of Thebes
Kings	Calydnus Ogyges Cadmus Pentheus Polydorus Nycteus (regent for Labdacus) and Lycus I (regent for Labdacus) Labdacus Lycus I (regent for Laius) Laius Amphion and Zethus Laius (second rule) Creon Oedipus Creon (second rule) (regent for Eteocles and Polynices) Polynices and Eteocles Creon (third rule) (regent for Laodamas) Lycus II (usurper) Laodamas Thersander Peneleos (regent for Tisamenus) Tisamenus Autesion Damasichthon Ptolemy Xanthos
In literature	Antigone (Sophocles) Antigone (Euripides play) The Bacchae Herakles Iliad Oedipus Oedipus at Colonus Oedipus Rex The Phoenician Women Seven Against Thebes La Thébaïde
Related articles	Thebes Necklace of Harmonia
Category:Theban kings Portal:Ancient Greece