Amphitryon

Amphitryon
Prince of Tiryns
Amphitryon, detail of antique fresco from Herculaneum.
AbodeThebes
Genealogy
Born
ParentsAlcaeus and Astydameia
SiblingsAnaxo
Perimede
ConsortAlcmene
ChildrenLaonome
Iphicles
Frontispiece of the 1682 edition of Molière's highly successful comedy Amphitryon, based on a Plautine comic treatment of the myth of the eponymous hero: the gods Jupiter (Zeus), disguised as Amphitryon and mounted upon an eagle, and Mercury (Hermes) descend from Olympus to meddle in the affairs of the play's human characters.

Amphitryon (/æmˈfɪtriən/; Ancient Greek: Ἀμφιτρύων, gen.: Ἀμφιτρύωνος; usually interpreted as "harassing either side", Latin: Amphitruo), in Greek mythology, was a son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns in Argolis. His mother was named either Astydameia, the daughter of Pelops and Hippodamia, or Laonome, daughter of Guneus, or else Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus. Amphitryon was the brother of Anaxo (wife of Electryon), and Perimede, wife of Licymnius.[1][2] He was a husband of Alcmene, Electryon's daughter, and stepfather of the Greek hero Heracles.[3]

  1. ^ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.4.5
  2. ^ Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 8.14.2
  3. ^ Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology., p. 59, at Google Books