< Oenomaus, son of Alxion >

1 Origin

Oenomaus was born in 1353 BC in Heraea, in western Arcadia.

Oenomaus' father was Alxion.

Oenomaus' mother was Harpina (or Harpine).

2 Family

Oenomaus married Evarete, daughter of Acrisius of Argos.

Oenomaus and Evarete had a daughter, Hippodamia.

Oenomaus had a daughter, Alcippe.

Oenomaus had a son, Dysponteus.

Stephanus, in the 6th century AD, reports that Dyspontium in Eleia, founded by Dysponteus, was named after Dyspontus, son of Pelops.

3 Others

3.1 Founding of Harpina

In 1330 BC, Oenomaus founded Harpina on the Alpheius River downstream from Heraea in Arcadia, near its confluence with the Harpinates River.

3.2 Emigration to Pisa

In 1315 BC, Oenomaus of Harpina attacked Pisa and took the city from Pisus.

It is presumed that Pisus, the son of Perieres, of Pisa, was killed by Oenomaus.

Pisus' wife Telegone moved to her father Pharis, who lived in Pharae in Messenia.

3.3 Successor Pelops

Euripides states that Pelops fought Oenomaus and killed him with a spear.

Oenomaus had many sons, but they may have died in the battle with Pelops, and only the names of his daughters are known.

However, it is presumed that there was no battle between Pelops and Oenomaus from the following:

1) Oenomaus' wife was Evarete, the daughter of Acrisius, grandfather of Perseus.

2) When Pelops was a boy, Perseus, who had just married Andromeda, lived near Pelops.

3) Pelops' three daughters were married to Perseus' three sons.

4) Oenomaus' daughter Alcippe had a daughter, Marpessa, who became the wife of Aphareus' son Idas.

5) Alcippe was born 10 years after Pelops and Hippodamia married.

In other words, Pelops had a close relationship with Perseus, and it is assumed that Pelops, who moved from Lydia to Peloponnesus, first met Perseus.

It is believed that Perseus accompanied to Olympia, the land of Pelops' ancestors.

On the way, Pelops and Hippodamia are believed to have met in Pisa.

Oenomaus of Pisa was Perseus' uncle-in-law, and his daughter Hippodamia was Perseus' cousin.

It is therefore believed that Oenomaus did not die in the battle with Pelops, but that Pelops inherited Pisa as Oenomaus's son-in-law.

3.4 The Olympic Games

In 1314 BC, Oenomaus held the Olympic Games.

Until then, the Olympic Games had been held by the descendants of Aeolus' son, Aethlius, the founder of Elis.

However, the founder of the Olympic Games was an ancestor of Pelops, who joined forces with Oenomaus to seize the rights to hold the games from Elis.