Phoroneus

In Greek mythology, Phoroneus was a culture-hero of the Argolid, son of Inachus and Melia or Argia: "Inachus, son of Oceanus, begat Phoroneus by his sister Argia," wrote Hyginus, in Fabulae 143, a genealogy that expresses the position of Phoroneus as one of the primordial men, whose local identities differed in the various regions of Greece, and who had for a mother the essential spirit of the very earth of Argos herself, Argia. He was the primordial king in the Peloponnesus, authorized by Zeus: "Formerly Zeus himself had ruled over men, but Hermes created a confusion of human speech, which spoilt Zeus' pleasure in this Rule". Phoroneus introduced both the worship of Hera and the use of fire and the forge. Poseidon and Hera had vied for the land: when the primeval waters had receded, Phoroneus "was the first to gather the people together into a community; for they had up to then been living as scattered and lonesome families". (Pausanias).

In Argive culture Niobe is associated with Phoroneus, sometimes as his mother, sometimes as his daughter, but likely as his consort (Kerenyi). He was chiefly worshipped in Argos.

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Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 01:05:43 PST (GMT -0800)
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