< Thersander, son of Polyneices >
1 Origin
Thersander was born in Argos in 1224 BC.
Thersander's father was Polyneices, son of Oedipus.
Thersander's mother was Argia (or Argea), daughter of Adrastus.
2 Family
Thersander's wife was Demonassa, daughter of Amphiaraus.
Thersander and Demonassa had a son, Tisamenus.
3 Others
3.1 Epigoni's attack on Thebes
In 1205 BC, Thersander decided to attack Thebes with his brothers, Adrastus and Timeas.
Thersander's expeditionary force included his mother Demonassa's brother Alcmaeon and many Argives.
The expeditionary force captured Thebes, and Thersander became king of Thebes, expelling Laodamas, son of Eteocles.
3.2 Mysia Expedition
3.2.1 Motive for the Expedition
Pausanias tells us that an expedition led by Agamemnon landed in Mysia mistaking it for Troy, and that Thesander was killed fighting Telephus.
In addition to Pausanias, this story is told by Dictys of Crete, who says he participated in the Trojan War, and by Apollodoros, a writer of the 2nd century AD.
The true story of the Mysia expedition is estimated as follows.
Epigoni's attack on Thebes resulted in many captives (refugees).
Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus, took care of the captives, including Manto, daughter of Tiresias.
The captives wanted to settle in a new land.
Alcmaeon asked Thersander son of Polyneices to help them move.
Alcmaeon was not only Thersander's brother-in-law, but also the benefactor who restored him to the throne of Thebes.
3.2.2 Reasons for choosing Mysia
One of the Epigoni who joined Thebes with Thersander was Tlesimenes, a son of Parthenopaeus from Mysia of Pergamene in Asia Minor.
Tlesimenes' father, Parthenopaeus, who had emigrated from Arcadia to Mysia of Pergamene with his son Telephus of Auge, was killed in Adrastus' attack on Thebes.
Presumably, Thesander heard from Tlesimenes about the advantages of Mysia of Pergamene and decided that it would be the best place for his captives to settle.
3.2.3 Thersander's Death
In 1196 BC, Thersander arrived safely at Mysia of Pergamene with Tlesimenes as his pilot, but Thersander died there.
The cause of Thersander's death is unknown, but at least it appears that there was no battle.
The captives, including Tiresias' daughter Manto, sailed further south and were received by the Cretans of Colophon, who cohabited with them.
