Melas (mythology)
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, the name Melas refers to a number of characters.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the name Melas refers to a number of characters.
- Melas, son of PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
and an unnamed nymphNymphA nymph in Greek mythology is a female minor nature deity typically associated with a particular location or landform. Different from gods, nymphs are generally regarded as divine spirits who animate nature, and are usually depicted as beautiful, young nubile maidens who love to dance and sing;...
of ChiosChiosChios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
, brother of Agelus. He may or may not be identical to Melas, son of Poseidon, who was said to have given his name to the river Melas in EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, which was later renamed NileNileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
.
- Melas, one of the sons of PhrixusPhrixusIn Greek mythology, Phrixus or Frixos or Phryxus was the son of Athamas, king of Boiotia, and Nephele . His twin sister Helle and he were hated by their stepmother, Ino. Ino hatched a devious plot to get rid of the twins, roasting all of Boeotia's crop seeds so they would not grow. The local...
and ChalciopeChalciopeChalciope , in Greek mythology, is a name that may refer to several characters.* Chalciope, daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, sister of Medea and wife of Phrixus, by whom she had four sons: Argus, Phrontis, Melas and Cytisorus...
. By Eurycleia, daughter of AthamasAthamasThe king of Orchomenus in Greek mythology, Athamas , was married first to the goddess Nephele with whom he had the twins Phrixus or Frixos and Helle. He later divorced Nephele and married Ino, daughter of Cadmus. With Ino, he had two children: Learches and Melicertes...
and ThemistoThemistoIn Greek mythology, Themisto , daughter of Hypseus, was the third and last wife of Athamas. According to Apollodorus, she had five children by him: Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, Ptous, and Porphyrion. In other sources there were but two: Sphincius and Orchomenus, or else Schoeneus and Leucon...
, he became the father of Hyperes.
- Melas, one of the sons of PorthaonPorthaonIn Greek mythology, Porthaon , sometimes referred to as Parthaon or Portheus, was the king of Calydon, husband of Euryte and father of Oeneus, Agrius, Alcathous, Melas, Leucopeus and Sterope, also of the Argonaut Laocoön by an unnamed female servant, or by Euryte too...
and Euryte. He was the father of Pheneus, Euryalus, Hyperlaus, Antiochus, Eumedes, Sternops, Xanthippus and Sthenelaus, who were all slain by TydeusTydeusIn Greek mythology, Tydeus was an Aeolian hero of the generation before the Trojan War. He was one of the Seven Against Thebes and was mortally wounded by Melanippus before the walls of the city. The goddess Athena had planned to make him immortal but refused after Tydeus in a rage devoured the...
for plotting against their uncle OeneusOeneusIn Greek mythology, Oeneus, or Oineus was a Calydonian king, son of Porthaon and Euryte, husband of Althaea and father of Deianeira, Meleager, Toxeus, Clymenus, Periphas, Agelaus, Thyreus , Gorge, Eurymede, Mothone, Perimede and Melanippe...
.
- Melas, one of the TyrrhenianTyrrhenianTyrrhenian may refer to the:* Tyrrhenian Stage, a faunal stage from 0.26 to 0.01143 million years ago* Tyrrhenians, an ancient ethnonym associated variously with Pelasgians, Etruscans or Lemnians* Tyrrhenian Sea* Tyrrhenian languages...
pirates who attempted to delude DionysusDionysusDionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
but were transformed into dolphins by him.
- Melas, son of LicymniusLicymniusIn Greek mythology, Licymnius was a good friend of Heracles' and an illegitimate son of Electryon, King of Tiryns and Mycenae in the Argolid . His mother is given as Mideia, a Phrygian woman...
. He and his brother Argius accompanied HeraclesHeraclesHeracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
in his campaign against EurytusEurytusEurytus, Erytus , or Eurytos is the name of eleven characters in Greek mythology, and of at least one historical figure.-King of Oechalia:...
, and both fell in the battle.
- Melas, son of OenopionOenopionIn Greek mythology, Oenopion , son of Theseus or Dionysus and Ariadne, was a legendary king of Chios, which was assigned to him by Rhadamanthys, and was said to have brought winemaking to the island. By the nymph Helice, he had one daughter, called Merope in most sources, but "Haero" in Parthenius...
and brother of Talus, Euanthes, Salagus and Athamas. He, together with his father and brothers, sailed from CreteCreteCrete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
to ChiosChiosChios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, seven kilometres off the Asia Minor coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island is noted for its strong merchant shipping community, its unique mastic gum and its medieval villages...
and settled there.
- Melas, son of Antasus, from Gonusa near SicyonSicyonSikyon was an ancient Greek city situated in the northern Peloponnesus between Corinth and Achaea on the territory of the present-day prefecture of Corinthia...
. He expressed desire to join the Dorians in their expedition against CorinthCorinthCorinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
. AletesAletesAletes may refer to:* Aletes , the Greek mythology figure who was killed by Orestes* Aletes , a Trojan counselor depicted in the Aeneid.* Aletes, son of Hippotes* Aletes, son of Icarius* Aletes, the plant genus...
consulted the oracle of ApolloApolloApollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
about him; the god expressed disapproval, and Aletes at first told Melas to go and search for other allies among the Greeks, but then changed his mind and, neglecting the prophecy, let him join. Melas was the ancestor of CypselusCypselusCypselus was the first tyrant of Corinth in the 7th century BC.With increased wealth and more complicated trade relations and social structures, Greek city-states tended to overthrow their traditional hereditary priest-kings; Corinth, the richest archaic polis, led the way...
.
- Melas, son of Ops. AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
assumed his shape to persuade TeuthisTeuthisTeuthis was an ancient Arcadian city in the location of modern Dimitsana. In Greek mythology, a king of this city also bore the name Teuthis....
not to lead his army back from AulisAulis (ancient Greece)Ancient Aulis was a Greek port-town, located in Boeotia in central Greece, at the Euripus Strait, opposite of the island of Euboea.Aulis never developed into fully independent polis, but belonged to Thebes and Tanagra respectively ....
. Teuthis, outraged, hit whom he took for Melas with a spear and did return home. Later, he saw the wounded goddess in a dream; he was then struck with a wasting disease, and his country suffered from famine.