< Cadmus, son of Agenor >

1 Origin

In 1450 BC, Cadmus was born in Thebes, Egypt.

Thebes, where Cadmus was born, was not a town in Upper Egypt, but was founded by Ogygus, the father of Thebe.

Cadmus' father was Agenor.

Cadmus' mother was Telephassa.

2 Family

Cadmus married Harmonia.

Cadmus and Harmonia had a son, Polydorus, and four daughters, Semele, Ino, Autonoe, and Agave.

3 Others

3.1 Emigration to Sidon

In 1430 BC, Cadmus and his father Agenor migrated from Egypt to Sidon in Phoenicia.

It is assumed that this was due to the oppression of Greeks living in the Nile Delta by Pharaoh Thutmose III of the 18th Dynasty of Egypt.

3.2 From Sidon to Rhodes

In 1425 BC, Cadmus left Sidon in search of a new land, inviting prospective emigrants from Phoenicia. Cadmus' emigration party included Phoenicians and Arabians.

Cadmus sailed left around the Aegean Sea and landed at Ialysus, northeast of Rhodes, before reemerging at Lindus, southeast of the island. In that town is the temple of Athena, founded by Danaus, to which Cadmus dedicated a bronze cauldron inscribed with Phoenicia letters.

3.3 From Rhodes to Thera

Cadmus then stopped at Calliste (later Thera) and left prospective settlers on the island, with Membliarus, son of Poeciles, as their leader. The descendants of the settlers at this time lived on the island for eight generations, until Theras, son of Autesion, settled on the island from Sparta.

3.4 Thera to Samothrace

Cadmus continued northward, traveling around the islands, and landed at Samothrace, where the highest mountain in the islands of the Aegean Sea is located.

Samothrace was inhabited by Dardanus and Megassares, who migrated from Methydrium in Arcadia in 1430 BC.

At Samothrace, Cadmus married Dardanus' sister Harmonia.

3.5 From Samothrace to Thracia

Cadmus left Samothrace, landed in Thracia, and settled near Mount Pangaeus in the northern part of the Chalcidice Peninsula, accompanied by the Telchines, who were probably prospecting wherever they went, and the gold they found in Mount Pangaeus made Cadmus became wealthy from the gold he found in the Pangaeus Mountains.

Cadmus' mother, Telephassa, died in Thracia.

3.6 From Thracia to Boeotia

In 1420 BC, a tsunami hit the coast of Thracia where Cadmus' immigrants had settled, and Cadmus again led an immigrant group through Thessaly and invaded Boeotia.

At that time, Boeotia was home to the Temmix (Temmikes), Hyantes, Ectenes, and Aonians, and fierce battles ensued. At first, Cadmus's invading group continued to lose to the natives, but by changing tactics, they won.

The Hyantes, who lived around Thebes, were driven out by the Hyantes about 160 years ago and most of them had migrated to Attica.

The Ectenes, who had remained in Boeotia, were driven out by Cadmus and migrated to Attica.

The Aonians who lived around Glissas, about 11 km northeast of Thebes, were allowed to continue living there.

3.7 Founding of Cadmeia

Cadmus built a palace on a hill in the area vacated by the Hyantes, and called it Cadmeia.

The Gephyraeans who accompanied Cadmus from Phoenicia settled in Tanagra.

The Arabians who were part of Cadmus' group also moved to Euboea and settled there.

3.8 From Boeotia to Illyria

In 1390 BC, the Encheleans, who had migrated with Cadmus to Boeotia and had settled around Lake Copais, resettled in Illyria. The migration of Athamas, son of Aeolus, from Thessaly to the east side of Lake Copais in Boeotia, is thought to have been the cause of the Encheleans' resettlement.

The Encheleans, oppressed by the native tribes of Illyria, requested assistance from Cadmus.

Cadmus complied with the Encheleans' request, re-migrated to Illyria, and died there.

Cadmus' final resting place was Buthoe (now Budua) in Illyria, where he was buried with his wife Harmonia near the Rizous River.