Proetus married Stheneboea, daughter of King Iobates of Lycia, after fleeing there during his exile from Argos. She is also known as Anteia in the Iliad.
Proetus and Acrisius were twin sons of Abas who fought even in the womb. They warred over the kingdom of the Argolid, ultimately dividing it — Acrisius ruling Argos, Proetus ruling Tiryns.
Proetus purified Bellerophon of the blood-guilt from killing Belleros and sheltered him in Tiryns. But when Stheneboea accused the hero of assault, Proetus could not slay a guest he had purified — so he sent Bellerophon to Lycia with sealed tablets ordering his death.
According to Apollodorus and Strabo, the Cyclopes built the massive fortification walls of Tiryns for Proetus, giving rise to the term 'Cyclopean masonry.'
In Apollodorus, Dionysus drove Proetus's daughters mad for refusing to accept his rites, causing them to wander the countryside believing themselves to be cows.
Proetus sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law Iobates with a sealed letter requesting the hero's death. Iobates, bound by the laws of hospitality, could not kill a guest directly and instead devised deadly tasks.
The seer Melampus cured Proetus's daughters of their divinely inflicted madness, demanding and receiving a third of the kingdom of Argos as payment.
Stheneboea accused the young exile Bellerophon of assault to her husband Proetus. Enraged, Proetus sent Bellerophon to his father-in-law Iobates with a sealed letter requesting the bearer's death.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more