Amphion
Amphion is in the Greek mythology a son of the Zeus and the Antiope, the twin brother of Zethos and with this the ruler over Theben as well as the husband of Niobe, the daughter of the Tantalos.
Both Amphion and Zethos became, after they had been born in bushes at the edge of way, of their uncle Lykos, the king of Theben - and/or. by Kadmeia, like it at that time still called - on mountains the Kithairon one suspended and by Hirten one drew up.
Amphion, which these Hermes - altar had established, by the God with a viersaitigen lyra was presented and supplemented these around further strings, so that they those sieve possessed, as it was usual with the Lydier, because its wife came from there. From Zethos because of its turn to the music often scoffed, its gift proved to the talents of the cattle breeder and war gentleman Zethos with the building of the lower part of town of Theben however superior: The stones joined themselves with its play automatically, and for this reason the Stadtmauer was built also with seven gates. It prevailed together with Zethos over Theben and must have been popular as rulers, because after its death it was of all entrusting ore.
With Niobe it had fourteen children, who however all were killed up to Amyklas and Meliboias, since itself Niobe of their large fertility praised and Leto, which had scoffed loving the Zeus. Amphion killed itself either even, by Apollon together with its sons was killed - or also only, when he attacked a temple of the Apollon from thoughts at revenge floated.
The name Amphion is to mean it after Robert von climb Graves “protected from the moon” or “with the moon on both sides” and into the proximity of the three-way goddess, that prevails in air, on earth and in the underworld. The lyra play with the building of the Stadtmauern should provide therefore also their towers, gates and foundation walls with the protection of the goddess. Therefore climb Graves believes also that the lyra can have had only three strings.
Amphion is often called together with Orpheus. Both are to have bezaubert and gezähmt with their music wild animals. An early opera-like performance in Duesseldorf from cause of the marriage of Johann William of Jülich Kleve mountain carried the title Orpheus and Amphion.
literature
- Karl Kerényi, the mythology of the Greeks - Heroen stories; Munich (dtv) 1992 (ISBN 3-423-30031-0)
- Michael Grant and John Hazel, encyclopedia of the antique myths and shapes, Munich (dtv) 1980 (ISBN 3-423-32508-9)
- Robert von climb Graves, Greek mythology, Reinbek with Hamburg (Rowohlt) 2003 (ISBN 3-499-55404-6)
see also: Portal: Mythology, Romulus and Remus
