Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Cadmus
open-in-new
<p>In <a href="/facts/Greek_mythology/M7k4FvW8">Greek mythology</a>, Cadmus was the legendary <a href="/facts/Phoenicia/6GXLneNU">Phoenician</a> founder of <a href="/facts/Boeotia/V8Prmucy">Boeotian</a> <a href="/facts/Thebes,_Greece/PBN0g5la">Thebes</a>. He was, alongside <a href="/facts/Perseus/d4KuuNRY">Perseus</a> and <a href="/facts/Bellerophon/6IMU0uq3">Bellerophon</a>, the greatest hero and slayer of monsters before the days of <a href="/facts/Heracles/CIQWycTu">Heracles</a>. Commonly stated to be a prince of <a href="/facts/Phoenicia/6GXLneNU">Phoenicia</a>, the son of king <a href="/facts/Agenor/gJrrIXk6">Agenor</a> and queen <a href="/facts/Telephassa/bPoMS01J">Telephassa</a> of <a href="/facts/Tyre,_Lebanon/RYMPTlJR">Tyre</a>, the brother of <a href="/facts/Phoenix_(son_of_Agenor)/EPokxPTm">Phoenix</a>, <a href="/facts/Cilix/hxLwTpeN">Cilix</a> and <a href="/facts/Europa_(consort_of_Zeus)/G4AqvDrf">Europa</a>, Cadmus traced his origins back to <a href="/facts/Poseidon/kTYc88aD">Poseidon</a> and <a href="/facts/Libya_of_Egypt/I1gfoBjK">Libya</a>. </p><p>Originally, he was sent by his royal parents to seek out and escort his sister Europa back to Tyre after she was abducted from the shores of Phoenicia by Zeus. In early accounts, Cadmus and Europa were instead the children of Phoenix. Cadmus founded or refounded the Greek city of <a href="/facts/Ancient_Thebes_(Boeotia)/PBN0g5la">Thebes</a>, the <a href="/facts/Acropolis/5Je8NC6c">acropolis</a> of which was originally named <i><a href="/facts/Cadmeia/az9wBwb5">Cadmeia</a></i> in his honour. </p><p>He is also credited with the foundation of several cities in <a href="/facts/Illyria/ugbD1GVj">Illyria</a>, like <a href="/facts/Bouthoe/Mb9IG9zN">Bouthoe</a> and <a href="/facts/Lychnidus/9u3mjt0k">Lychnidus</a>. In ancient Greek literature, the end of the mythical narrative of Cadmus and Harmonia is associated with <a href="/facts/Enchelei/e1MU4Gg4">Enchelei</a> and <a href="/facts/Illyrians/GlwCC68g">Illyrians</a>, a tradition deeply rooted among the Illyrian peoples. </p><p>His parentage was sometimes modified to suit, e.g. claims of Theban origin name his mother as one of the daughters of <a href="/facts/Nilus_(mythology)/Iq5FPT3b">Nilus</a>, one of the <a href="/facts/River_gods_(Greek_mythology)/xU3vVjGH">river gods</a> and deity of the Nile river. </p>