Phorbas

The child Œdipus brought back to life by the shepherd Phorbas, who took him off the tree. Sculpture by Charles Dupaty.

In Greek mythology, Phorbas (Greek: Φόρβας, gen. Φόρβαντος) or Phorbaceus may refer to:

• Phorbas, a prince of the Thessalian Phlegyes who emigrated to Elis in the Peloponnesos. Phorbas was the son of Lapithes and Orsinome, and a brother of Periphas. He assisted Alector, king of Elis, in the war against Pelops, and shared the kingdom with him.^[1] He married Hyrmine, sister of Alector, and gave his daughter Diogeneia in marriage to Alector. His sons with Hyrmine were Augeas (perhaps he of the Augean Stables) and Actor, the Argonauts.^[2][3][4] Other less well-supported traditions have Phorbas as a bold boxer who attacked travelers on the road and was eventually defeated by Apollo.^[5][6]
• Phorbas, son of Triopas and Hiscilla (daughter of Myrmidon), a hero of the island of Rhodes, was sometimes confounded with the Phlegyan Phorbas.^[7] When the people of the island of Rhodes fell victim to a plague of masses of serpents (may have been dragons or simply snakes), an oracle directed them to call on a man named Phorbas. Phorbas cleansed the island of the snakes and in gratitude the Rhodians venerated him as a hero. For his achievement he won a place among the stars as the constellation Serpentarius or Ophiuchus.^[8] Phorbas, son of Triopas, was also said to have been the father of Pellen, eponym of the city of Pellene, Achaea.^[9]
• Phorbas, father of a different Triopas, the king of Argos, with Euboea. His own parents were either Argus and Evadne^[10] or Criasus and Melantho; in the latter case, he was brother of Ereuthalion and Cleoboea and father of another son, Arestor.^[11] According to Tatiānus, he may have been a king of Argos himself. According to Eusebius, he reigned for thirty five years as the king of Argos, and was succeeded by his son Megacles.^[12]
• Phorbas, a shepherd of King Laius, finds the infant Oedipus on the hillside and ensures his survival to fulfill his destiny.^[13] A number of sculptures, ranging from the 14th to the 19th century, memorialize Phorbas' rescue of Oedipus. He might be the same as Phorbas, attendant of Antigone.^[14]
• Phorbas, listed as a king or archon of Athens.^[15]
• Phorbas of Lesbos, father of Diomede.^[16][17]
• Phorbas of Troy, who was favored and made rich by Hermes. He had a son Ilioneus, who was killed by Peneleos.^[18][19]
• Phorbas, son of Metion of Syene, who fought on Phineus' side against Perseus.^[20]
• Phorbas of Acarnania, son of Poseidon, who went to Eleusis together with Eumolpus to fight against Erechtheus, and was killed by the opponent.^{[21][22][23][24]}
• Phorbas, one of the twelve younger Panes.^[25]
• Phorbas, son of Helios and father of Ambracia (eponym of the city of Ambracia). She could also have been daughter of Augeas, granddaughter of Phorbas of Thessaly.^[26]
• Phorbas, who is called father of Tiresias by the Cretans.^[27]
• Phorbas, charioteer of Theseus.^[28]
• Phorbas, father of Dexithea who, according to one version, was the mother of Romulus and Remus by Aeneas.^[29]

The name Phorbas is not to be confused with Phorbus (Φόρβος), which refers to the father of Pronoe (wife of Aetolus)^[30]

See also

• Ophiuchus

References

External links

• Imago Mundi: Phorbas (French)
• Phorbas bringing Oedipus back to life, Louvre, Paris, France (French)
• Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. 1870.