Cadmus married Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, in the first mortal wedding attended by all the Olympian gods. Their union on the Cadmeia produced five children: Ino, Semele, Agave, Autonoe, and Polydorus.
Cadmus and Europa were children of King Agenor of Tyre. Zeus's abduction of Europa prompted Agenor to send Cadmus on the quest that led him to found Thebes in Boeotia.
Athena aided Cadmus after he slew the Ismenian dragon, instructing him to sow the dragon's teeth in the earth. The Spartoi warriors who sprang from the teeth became the founding nobility of Thebes.
Cadmus slew the dragon sacred to Ares that guarded the Ismenian spring near Thebes. The killing incurred Ares's wrath, and Cadmus served the war god for eight years in penance before founding Thebes.
Cadmus ruled Thebes as its first king after founding the city, establishing the Cadmeia as its citadel and the Spartoi as its warrior aristocracy.
Cadmus founded Thebes after following a cow as instructed by the Delphic oracle, establishing the Cadmeia as its citadel. Amphion later built the city's famous walls by playing his golden lyre, the stones moving into place of their own accord.
The greatest heroes and the most favored of the gods dwell in Elysium after death, freed from the sorrows of Hades. Achilles, Peleus, Pelops, Menelaus, Cadmus, Harmonia, and Diomedes earned their place among the blessed dead.
Agave, daughter of Cadmus, tore apart her own son Pentheus on Mount Cithaeron in a Dionysiac frenzy. In Euripides' Bacchae, Cadmus helps Agave recognize what she has done.
Cadmus consulted the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi while searching for his sister Europa. Apollo's Pythia redirected him to follow a cow and found the city of Thebes.
Cadmus consulted the Oracle at Delphi while searching for his sister Europa. Apollo instructed him to follow a cow and found a city where it lay down, leading to the founding of Thebes.
In Nonnus's Dionysiaca, Cadmus disguised himself as a shepherd and played his pipes to entrance Delphyne, distracting her so that Zeus's sinews could be recovered from her custody.
Dionysus was the grandson of Cadmus, born to Cadmus's daughter Semele and Zeus. In Euripides' Bacchae, the aged Cadmus joins the worship of Dionysus when the god returns to Thebes.
Cadmus's search for Europa brought him from Phoenicia to Greece, ultimately leading to the founding of Thebes. Europa's abduction by Zeus was the catalyst for Cadmus's entire mythological journey.
Cadmus and Harmonia were transformed into serpents in old age, according to the prophecy of Dionysus in Euripides' Bacchae. They were ultimately translated to Elysium together.
Cadmus received the Necklace of Harmonia at his wedding, forged by Hephaestus. The cursed necklace passed through the generations, bringing misfortune to all who possessed it.
In Diodorus Siculus, Iasion attended the wedding of Cadmus and Harmonia on Samothrace. It was during these celebrations that Demeter lay with Iasion, leading to Zeus's fatal thunderbolt.
Ino, daughter of Cadmus, helped nurse the infant Dionysus after Semele's death. Hera drove Ino mad in retaliation, causing her to leap into the sea where she became the sea goddess Leucothea.
Cadmus presented the Necklace of Harmonia to his bride at their wedding, the celebrated event attended by all the Olympians. The necklace's curse would haunt the Theban dynasty Cadmus founded.
Pentheus was Cadmus's grandson through his daughter Agave. In Euripides' Bacchae, Cadmus witnesses the aftermath of Pentheus's death and mourns over his dismembered body.
The Pythia told Cadmus to abandon his search for Europa and instead follow a cow, founding a city where it lay down. This oracle led Cadmus to establish Thebes.
Semele, daughter of Cadmus, was loved by Zeus and destroyed by his lightning when tricked by Hera. Her death at Thebes gave rise to Dionysus, and her tomb on the Cadmeia became a cult site.
Tiresias served as prophet of Thebes from Cadmus's reign onward. In Euripides' Bacchae, Tiresias and the aged Cadmus together dress in fawnskins to worship Dionysus.
Zeus's abduction of Europa from Phoenicia compelled her brother Cadmus to search the Mediterranean world for her. When he failed to find her, the Delphic oracle redirected him to found Thebes instead.
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