Labdacus

In Greek mythology, Labdacus /ˈlæbdəkəs/ⓘ (Ancient Greek:Λάβδακος, Lábdakos) was the only son of Polydorus and a king of Thebes. Labdacus was a grandson of Thebes's founder, Cadmus. His mother was Nycteïs, daughter of Nycteus.

Mythology

Polydorus died while Labdacus was a child, leaving Nycteus as his regent, although Lycus soon replaced him in that office. When Labdacus had grown, he briefly ruled Thebes. He died while he was still young, after he lost a war with the king of Athens, Pandion, over their borders. Apollodorus writes that he, like his cousin Pentheus, was ripped apart by women in a bacchic frenzy for disrespect to the god Dionysus. Lycus became regent once more after his death, this time for Labdacus's son, Laius. His descendants were called the Labdacids, and included his son Laius, who fathered Oedipus; Oedipus's children were Polynices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene.

Family tree of Theban Royal House

vteRoyal House of Thebes
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 Nth king. Generally this means the regent served the Nth 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. Harmonia1. CadmusPolyxoA4. Nycteus (Regent)DirceB4 & A6. Lycus (Regent) Zeus Zeus Ino Agave Echion3. PolydorusNycteisAntiope Semele Autonoë Dionysus2. PentheusEpeiros4. Labdacus5a. Amphion5b. Zethus Oclasus Menoeceus EurydiceA7, A8 & A9. Creon (Regent)Jocasta6. LaiusMerope Polybus HipponomeAlcaeus Zeus Alcmene Amphitryon Perimede7. Oedipus Megara Heracles Iphicles Anaxo Henioche Megareus Haemon Antigone8b. EteoclesArgea8a. Polynices PyrrhaLycomedes Ismene9. Lycus II A12. Peneleos (Regent)10. LaodamasDemonassa11. Thersander Opheltes12. Tisamenus 14. Damasichthon13. Autesion 15. PtolemyTheras Argeia Aristodemus 16. XanthosEurysthenes Procles


		Harmonia		1. Cadmus					Polyxo		A4. Nycteus (Regent)		Dirce		B4 & A6. Lycus (Regent)



Zeus																					Zeus



				Ino			Agave		Echion		3. Polydorus		Nycteis		Antiope


		Semele		Autonoë


Dionysus						2. Pentheus		Epeiros		4. Labdacus		5a. Amphion		5b. Zethus

								Oclasus

								Menoeceus


Eurydice	A7, A8 & A9. Creon (Regent)								Jocasta		6. Laius		Merope		Polybus



							Hipponome		Alcaeus


			Zeus

								Alcmene		Amphitryon			Perimede				7. Oedipus



	Megara		Heracles		Iphicles		Anaxo




Henioche		Megareus			Haemon			Antigone			8b. Eteocles		Argea		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						Theras		Argeia		Aristodemus



								16. Xanthos										Eurysthenes	Procles

Regnal titles
PrecededbyLycus (as regent)	King of Thebes	SucceededbyLycus

Notes

Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. .
Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. ISBN0-674-99328-4.
Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. .