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. He appeared in Euripides's Heracles.

Genealogy

Royal house of Thebes family tree
vte 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) ZeusZeus InoAgaveEchion3. PolydorusNycteisAntiope SemeleAutonoë Dionysus2. PentheusEpeiros4. Labdacus5a. Amphion5b. Zethus Menoeceus EurydiceA7, A8 & A9. Creon (Regent)Jocasta6. LaiusMeropePolybus HipponomeAlcaeus Zeus AlcmeneAmphitryonPerimede7. Oedipus MegaraHeraclesIphiclesAnaxo HeniocheMegareusHaemonAntigone8b. EteoclesArgea8a. Polynices PyrrhaLycomedesIsmene9. Lycus II A12. Peneleos (Regent)10. LaodamasDemonassa11. Thersander Opheltes12. Tisamenus 14. Damasichthon13. Autesion 15. PtolemyTherasArgeiaAristodemus 16. XanthosEurysthenesProcles
Harmonia1. CadmusPolyxoA4. Nycteus (Regent)DirceB4 & A6. Lycus (Regent)
ZeusZeus
InoAgaveEchion3. PolydorusNycteisAntiope
SemeleAutonoë
Dionysus2. PentheusEpeiros4. Labdacus5a. Amphion5b. Zethus
Menoeceus
EurydiceA7, A8 & A9. Creon (Regent)Jocasta6. LaiusMeropePolybus
HipponomeAlcaeus
Zeus
AlcmeneAmphitryonPerimede7. Oedipus
MegaraHeraclesIphiclesAnaxo
HeniocheMegareusHaemonAntigone8b. EteoclesArgea8a. Polynices
PyrrhaLycomedesIsmene9. Lycus II
A12. Peneleos (Regent)10. LaodamasDemonassa11. Thersander
Opheltes12. Tisamenus
14. Damasichthon13. Autesion
15. PtolemyTherasArgeiaAristodemus
16. XanthosEurysthenesProcles

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. However, Creon was the father-in-law of the hero Heracles, who returned unexpectedly to Thebes and slew Lycus. Laodamas succeeded him as king.

Regnal titles
Preceded byCreonKing of ThebesSucceeded byLaodamas

Notes

  • 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.
  • Euripides, Euripidis Fabulae. vol. 2. Gilbert Murray. Oxford. Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1913.
  • Tripp, Edward, Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology, Thomas Y. Crowell Co; First edition (June 1970). ISBN 069022608X.