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Elephenor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Greek mythology, Elephenor /ˌɛlɪˈfnər, -ˌnɔːr/[1] (‹See Tfd›Greek: Ἐλεφήνωρ, -ορος Elephḗnōr, -oros) was the king of the Abantes of Euboea.

Family

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Elephenor was the son of Chalcodon by either Imenarete,[2] Melanippe[3] or Alcyone.[4]

Mythology

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Elephenor received the sons of Theseus of Athens, Acamas and Demophon, when they fled from the usurper Menestheus.[5] One source states that he unwittingly killed his grandfather Abas and was expelled from Euboea; because of that, he had to assemble his troops before the Trojan expedition on a rock of the Euripus Strait opposite Euboea.[6]

Trojan War

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Elephenor was a suitor of Helen[7] and the leader of the Euboean force of thirty or forty ships which joined the Greek expedition to Troy.[8] On the day the truce was broken by Pandarus, he was killed by Agenor whilst trying to drag off the body of Echepolus.[9]

The return

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On their way home, Elephonor's men were driven off course and shipwrecked off the coast of Epirus, where they founded the city of Apollonia. Alternately, Elephenor survived and settled on the island Othronos, but was soon driven out of the island by a serpent and went to Abantia in Illyria.[6]

Notes

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  1. ^ Gardner, Dorsey; Porter, Noah, eds. (1884). A Practical Dictionary of the English Language. New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co. p. 553.
  2. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae 97
  3. ^ Tzetzes ad Lycophron, 1034; Allegories of the Iliad Prolegomena 549
  4. ^ Apollodorus, E.3.11; Tzetzes, Allegories of the Iliad Prolegomena 548
  5. ^ Pausanias, 1.17.6; Plutarch, Theseus 35.3
  6. ^ a b Tzetzes ad Lycophron, 1034
  7. ^ Apollodorus, 3.10.8
  8. ^ Homer, Iliad 2.540; Apollodorus, E.3.11; Hyginus, Fabulae 97
  9. ^ Homer, Iliad 4.463–470

References

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