Hippocoon of Sparta

In Greek mythology, Hippocoön (/hɪˈpɒkˌɒn, -kəˌwɒn/; Ancient Greek: Ἱπποκόων) was a Spartan king.

Family

Hippocoon was the son of the Spartan King Oebalus and Bateia. His brothers (or half-brothers) were Tyndareus and Icarius.[1][2] Names of Hippocoön's sons include Lycon, Alcinous, Dorycleus, Scaeus, Enarophorus, Eurytus, Bucolus, Euteiches, Lycaethus, Hippothous, Tebrus, Hippocorystes,[3] Alcimus, Dorceus, Sebrus, Eumedes,[4] Enaesimus, Alcon and Leucippus (the last three were among the Calydonian hunters).[5] Diodorus Siculus states that there were twenty of them, but gives no individual names.[6]

Mythology

When their father died, Tyndareus became king. Hippocoön, with the help of his sons, overthrew him, took the throne and expelled his brothers from the kingdom . Later, Hippocoön refused to cleanse Heracles after the death of Iphitus. Because of that, Heracles became hostile to Hippocoön, killed him and reinstated Tyndareus.[3][7] All of Hippocoön's sons were also slain by Heracles, as a revenge for the death of the young Oeonus, son of Licymnius, whom they had killed because he had stoned their dog in self-defense.[8][9] Heracles's allies in the war against Hippocoön were Cepheus of Arcadia and his twenty sons, who all, as well as Heracles's brother Iphicles, died in the battle (according to Diodorus Siculus,[6] three of Cepheus' sons did survive).

Regnal titles
Preceded by
Tyndareus
(first reign)
King of Sparta
?–?
Succeeded by
Tyndareus
(second reign)

Notes

  1. in Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.10.4, all three are called sons of Oebalus and Bateia
  2. in Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 3.1.4, Tyndareus' s mother is Gorgophone
  3. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.10.5
  4. Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 3.14.6 & 3.15.1
  5. Hyginus, Fabulae 173
  6. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 4.33.5
  7. Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 3.1.4 & 3.15.2
  8. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.7.3
  9. Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 3.15.4

References

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