< Epopeus, son of Aloeus >

1 Origin

Epopeus was born in Asopia (later Sicyon) in 1390 BC. [Apo.1.9.11]

Epopeus' father was Aloeus, son of Sisyphus. [Paus.2.1.1]

Aloeus' father was Sisyphus, son of Aeolus. [See Aloeus]

Epopeus' mother was Canace, daughter of Aeolus. [Apo.1.7.4]

2 Family

Epopeus had a son, Marathon. [Paus.2.1.1]

Epopeus had a daughter, Sinope. [See Sinope]

Epopeus had daughters, Peirene, Cleone, Asopis, Ornia, and Chalcis. [Diod.4.72.1]

2.1 Epopeus' wife

The river god Asopus, which flows through Phlius, and Metope (or Melia) had two sons, Ismenus and Tenerus (or Pelasgus, Pelagon). [Apo.3.12.6, Diod.4.72.1, Paus.9.10.6]

Ismenus migrated to the vicinity of a river in Boeotia, and the river was named after him. [Diod.4.72.2]

Ismenus had a sister Sinope, for whom the town of Sinope was named. [Diod. 4.72.2].

The father of Sinope, the daughter of Asopus river god, was Epopeus, the son of Aloeus. [See Sinope]

So Epopeus was the father of Ismenus, and Epopeus' wife was Metope.

Metope was the daughter of Ladon. [Apo.3.12.6, Diod.4.72.2, Paus.9.10.5]

2.2 EpopeusとMetopeの子供たち

Epopeus and Metope had a son, Ismenus. [See Ismenus]

Epopeus and Metope had a son, Tenerus. [See Tenerus]

Epopeus and Metope had a daughter, Oenope. [Hyginus.157]

Epopeus and Metope had a daughter, Harpina (or Harpine). [See Harpina]

Epopeus and Metope also presumably had a daughter named Aglaia. [See Aglaia]

3 Others

3.1 Adoption

From the following, it is presumed that Epopeus was adopted by Aeolus, son of Hippotes, who lived in Arne in Thessaly.

Epopeus returned from Thessaly to Sicyon and took possession of the kingdom. [Paus.2.6.1]

Aeolus was succeeded by Boeotus, son of Aeolus' daughter, Melanippe. [Diod.4.67.6]

Melanippe was abducted by the Pelasgians and taken to the Italian peninsula. [Strabo.6.1.15]

Aeolus, unaware of Boeotus' existence, adopted Epopeus, the son of his daughter Canace.

Boeotus was born in Italy, and when he reached adulthood he returned to Arne with his mother. [Diod.4.67.6]

Boeotus succeeded Aeolus, and Epopeus returned to Sicyon. [Paus.2.6.1]

3.2 The genealogy of the kings of Sicyon

Eusebius, a historian of the 4th century AD, wrote that Orthopolis ruled Sicyon for 63 years, Marathonius for 30 years, Marathus for 20 years, Echyreus for 55 years, Corax for 30 years, Epopeus for 35 years, and Lamedon for 40 years.

Lamedon was the son of Coronus, the son of Chrysorthe, daughter of Orthopolis.

In other words, there are two generations between Orthopolis and Lamedon.

However, Eusebius writes that five kings ruled between Orthopolis and Lamedon for 170 years, which is impossible.

In fact, during the time of Orthopolis, there was a war with the sons of Achaeus, and Sicyon was occupied by the Achaeans and ruled by Sisyphus, the son of Aeolus. [See Archander]

The kings of Sicyon after Orthopolis were Sisyphus, Aloeus, son of Sisyphus, and Epopeus, son of Aloeus.

3.3 Rule of Corinth

Epopeus lived in Asopia, but also ruled Ephyraea (later Corinth). [Paus.2.3.10]

Ephyraea was inherited by his son Aeetes from Sisyphus, the founder of the city, and then by Bunus, son of Alcidamea, who ruled over Ephyraea. [Paus.2.3.10]

3.4 Antiope legend

There are many legends about Epopeus and Antiope. [Apo.1.7.4, Apo.3.5.5, Paus.2.6.2-3]

Antiope, daughter of Nycteus, lived in Hysiae in the south of Boeotia. [Strabo.9.2.12, FGrH.333.5]

Hysiae was on the road between Sicyon and Thessaly.

Epopeus and Antiope lived in the same era, but the legends seem to be fiction.

The legends of Epopeus and Antiope seem to intentionally link Amphion and Zethus, who founded Thebes, to Sicyon.