< Minos, son of Lycastus >

1 Origin

Minos was born in 1315 BC in Troad, northwest of the Anatolia Peninsula. [Estimated from Plato.Gor.524a, Plut.Mor.121c, Suda.mu.1092]

Minos' father was Lycastus. [Diod.4.60.3]

2 Family

Minos married Pasiphae, daughter of Perseis. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos and Pasiphae had four sons, Catreus, Deucalion, Glaucus, and Androgeus. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos and Pasiphae had four daughters, Acalle, Xenodice, Ariadne, and Phaedra. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos married Paria. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos and Paria had four sons, Eurymedon, Nephalion, Chryses, and Philolaus. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos married Dexithea. [Apo.3.1.2]

Minos and Dexithea had a son, Euxanthius. [Apo.3.1.2]

3 Others

3.1 Marriage to Pasiphae

In 1297 BC, Minos married Pasiphae, daughter of Perseis, from Tauric Chersonese (present-day Crimea peninsula). [See Pasiphae]

Minos and Pasiphae were related through Asterios, son of Minos, son of Europa.

3.2 Migration to Crete

In 1295 BC, Minos and Pasiphae emigrated from Troad to Crete. [Estimated from Plato.Gor.524a, Plut.Mor.121c, Suda.mu.1092]

Minos' migration is believed to have been due to his defeat in a battle for the throne at Wilusa, where he sided with Assaracus, son of Tros.

Minos lived in Cnossus in Crete. [Apollo.4.430, Herod.3.122, Home.Od.19.164, HomericHym.388, Paus.8.53.8, Strabo.10.4.7]

Sarpedon, the brother of Minos, lived in Miletus in Crete. [Strabo.12.8.5]

3.3 Battle of Athens

In 1264 BC, Androgeus, son of Minos, was killed in Attica. [Apo.3.15.8, Diod.4.60.5]

Androgeus was presumably killed by Aegeus, the 9th king of Athens, in a battle between Aegeus and Aegeus's brothers-in-law. [Diod.4.60.4-5, Hyginus.41]

Minos attacked Megara, which sided with Aegeus, and won.

3.4 Death of Minos

In 1241 BC, when Theseus and Phaedra were married, Deucalion was the ruler of Crete. [Diod.4.62.1]

Herodotus reports that there was a Trojan War two generations after the death of Minos. [Herod.7.171]

Minos is estimated to have died around 1245 BC.

Homer states that Minos reigned for nine years, but he reigned over Cnossus for 50 years. [Home.Od.19.164]