Cadmus

Cadmus or Kadmos, which is pronounced as (kad-mus). is the son of Phoenician king, Agenor. Cadmus is best known for being the king and founder of Thebes. In his life, Cadmus was able to slay a dragon, and create a group oCadmus or Kadmos, which is pronounced as (kad-mus). is the son of Phoenician king, Agenor. Cadmus is best known for being the king and founder of Thebes. In his life, Cadmus was able to slay a dragon, and create a group of warriors known as the Sparti. He is the grandfather of Dionysius and also an ascendant of Oedipus.

=Relatives, Descendants, etc.= Parents : King Agenor and Telephassa Siblings: Cilix, Europa, and Phoenix. Wife: Harmonia Children: Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and Polydorus Grandchildren: Pentheus, Actaeon, Melicertes, Learchus, Labdacus, and Dionysius The Sparti: Chthonius, Echion, Hyperenor, Pelorus, and Udaeus. *They're not really relatives of Cadmus (except for Echion, who married Agave), but without Cadmus they wouldn't have existed.

=Story= When Zeus took Europa and carried her away to Crete, King Agenor commanded his sons to look for her. After a long while of fruitless searching, Cadmus opted to seek the Oracle of Delphi in the hopes of finding a new direction or help with his search. The Oracle advised Cadmus to stop the search for Europa and follow a particular kind of cow. This cow will eventually stop in one place and collapse due to fatigue on which he must build a city. And so, Cadmus follows the Oracle's words and finds himself in Boeotia (Cow Land), where he eventually builds the city of Thebes.

=Appearance= Since Cadmus is a prince, it is wise to assume that he is wearing clothes of high value in their standards.

=Myths= 1. Dragon Slayer- Cadmus wanted to sacrifice the cow he followed to the goddess Athena. He asks his men to fetch some water from the nearby well of Ares. However, this well is heavily guarded by Ares' dragon. The dragon kills Cadmus' men, and Cadmus kills the dragon.

2. The Sparti- After killing the dragon, Athena advises Cadmus to sow the dragon's teeth to the ground. He does so, and a group of fierce warriors sprang up. They brutalized each other until only five were left. They were known as The Sparti, who are the ancestors of the citizens residing in Thebes.

3. Ares' Revenge: Apparently, the dragon the Cadmus slew was a favorite of Ares. The god of war then punishes Cadmus by forcing him to service for eight long years. After this, Zeus grants Cadmus the crown of Thebes and gives him Ares' daughter, Harmonia, as a wife. (What goes around, comes around.)

WORDS WHICH USE CADMUS: cadmean victory - a victory that damages the victors as much as the vanquished http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/cadmus.htm http://www.mythindex.com/greek-mythology/C/Cadmus.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/87991/Cadmus http://www.online-mythology.com/cadmus/ http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Cadmus.html http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/RM/CadmusGoltzius.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Cadmus_teeth.jpg http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/000Images/cim/cadmusOV.jpg http://www.theoi.com/image/img_ismenios.jpg http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/RM/CadmusGoltzius.jpg

