XERXES’ non‐Persian admirals in 480 BCE (7.98). Nothing more is known of this Agbalus. The name may reflect the Phoenician Ozbaal (‘ZB‘L: Benz 1972, 374), a royal name which is recorded in the seventh century at Arwad (Elayi 2006, 28–30).
SEE ALSO: Near Eastern History; Phoenicians
REFERENCES
1 Benz, Frank L. 1972. Personal Names in the Phoenician and Punic Inscriptions. Rome: Biblical Institute Press.
2 Elayi, Josette. 2006. “An Updated Chronology of the Reigns of Phoenician Kings during the Persian Period (539–333 bce).” Transeuphratène 32: 11–43.
AGENOR (Ἀγήνωρ, ὁ)
KATHARINA WESSELMANN
Christian‐Albrechts‐University, Kiel
The mythical Phoenician king Agenor was a son of POSEIDON and LIBYA (Apollod. Bibl. 2.1.4), the latter a daughter of Epaphus, son of ZEUS and IO. In Herodotus’ Histories, Agenor is only mentioned as the father of CADMUS (4.147), founder of THEBES, and of CILIX, eponymous hero of the CILICIANS (7.91). In mythological tradition, he also fathered EUROPA, Phoenix (Hes. F138 M‐W), Phineus (Hellanicus BNJ 4 F95), and THASOS (Paus. 5.25.12). All sons were sent out to search for Europa after her abduction by Zeus; not daring to return home without success, they all became founding heroes (Apollod. Bibl. 3.1.1; Hyg. Fab. 178). For an exhaustive collection of other genealogical traditions see Dümmler (1893, esp. §(g)).
SEE ALSO: Heroes and Hero Cult; Myth; Phoenicians
REFERENCE
1 Dümmler, Ferdinand. 1893. “Agenor (1).” RE 1.1, 773–75.
FURTHER READING
1 Fowler, Robert L. 2013. Early Greek Mythography. Vol. 2, Commentary, 347–50. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
2 Gantz, EGM, 202–12.
AGESILAUS (Ἡγησίλεως, ὁ)
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
1) Legendary Spartan king, son of DORYSSUS, member of the Agiad royal house of SPARTA. Herodotus mentions Agesilaus (Hegesileōs in Herodotus’ IONIC DIALECT) in the GENEALOGY he provides for LEONIDAS before the Battle of THERMOPYLAE (7.204). In the fourth century BCE the name occurs with a king from the Eurypontid royal house (Agesilaus II, r. 399–c. 360).
2) Son of HIPPOCRATIDES, member of the junior branch of the Eurypontid royal house at Sparta. This Agesilaus never ruled, though his grandson LEOTYCHIDES II supplanted DEMARATUS as king in 491 BCE Herodotus mentions him in his genealogy of Leotychides (8.131.2). Elsewhere (6.65.1) this Agesilaus is identified by the shortened form “Agis” ( Ἄγις) as the grandfather of Leotychides.
SEE ALSO: Agis son of Eurysthenes; Euryp(h)on; Hegesicles; Menares
FURTHER READING
1 Vannicelli, Pietro, and Aldo Corcella, eds. 2017. Erodoto. Le Storie, libro VII: Serse e Leonida, 555–56. Milan: Mondadori.
AGETUS ( Ἄγητος, ὁ)
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
Spartan, son of ALCEIDES. Agetus was the closest friend of the Spartan king ARISTON (c. 560–510 BCE). Agetus’ wife (unnamed by Herodotus) was “by far the most beautiful woman in SPARTA,” despite having been quite ugly as a child. But this brought Agetus unwanted attention: when Ariston developed a passion for her (and he had not yet produced an heir with his own second wife), he tricked Agetus into giving her to him, by convincing his friend to exchange OATHS that each would give the other anything of his choosing. As the story continues, Ariston’s new wife gave birth to a son, but less than nine months after their MARRIAGE (6.61–63). Although DEMARATUS would succeed Ariston to the throne, this circumstance would eventually be used to depose him. When Demaratus confronts his mother about his real father, Agetus does not enter the picture: she tells her son that she was visited by an APPARITION in the form of Ariston, and thus his father is either Ariston or the hero ASTRABACUS (6.69).
SEE ALSO: Deception; Desire; Ephors; Heroes and Hero Cult; Women in the Histories
FURTHER READING
1 Bayliss, Andrew J. 2009. “Using Few Words Wisely? ‘Laconic Swearing’ and Spartan Duplicity.” In Sparta: Comparative Approaches, edited by Stephen Hodkinson, 231–60. Swansea: Classical Press of Wales.
2 Benardete, Seth. 1969. Herodotean Inquiries, 171–72. The Hague: M. Nijhoff. Reprint, South Bend, IN: St. Augustine’s Press, 2009.
3 Scott, Lionel. 2005. Historical Commentary on Herodotus Book 6, 256–61, 273–75. Leiden: Brill.
AGIS father of Menares , see AGESILAUS (2)
AGIS (Ἦγις, ὁ) son of Eurysthenes
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
Legendary Spartan king who gave his name to the Agiad royal house of SPARTA, which (like the Eurypontids) claimed descent from HERACLES. Herodotus mentions Agis in the GENEALOGY he provides for LEONIDAS before the Battle of THERMOPYLAE (7.204). In the fourth and third centuries BCE the name Agis occurs with kings from the Eurypontid royal house as well.
SEE ALSO: Agesilaus; Echestratus; Euryp(h)on; Eurysthenes; Heracleidae
FURTHER READING
1 Carlier, Pierre. 1984. La royauté en Grèce avant Alexandre, 301–24. Strasbourg: AECR.
2 Cartledge, Paul. 2002. Sparta and Lakonia: A Regional History, 1300–362 BC. 2nd edition, 293–98. London and New York: Routledge.
3 LGPN III.A, 12 (no. 14).
4 Vannicelli, Pietro, and Aldo Corcella, eds. 2017. Erodoto. Le Storie, libro VII: Serse e Leonida, 555–56. Milan: Mondadori.
AGLAURUS ( Ἄγλαυρος, ἡ)
CHRISTOPHER BARON
University of Notre Dame
Mythical, daughter of CECROPS, a legendary king of ATHENS. Aglaurus and her sisters were tasked by ATHENA with guarding the box which contained the infant Erichthonius; they opened it, went mad, and leapt from the ACROPOLIS to their deaths (Gantz, EGM 235–38). Herodotus mentions Aglaurus’
