Labdacus

In Greek mythology, Labdacus (Λάβδακος) was the only son of Polydorus and a king of Thebes. Labdacus was a grandson of Thebes' founder, Cadmus. His mother was Nycteis, daughter of Nycteus. Polydorus died while Labdacus was a young child, leaving Nycteus as his regent, although Lycus soon replaced him in that office. [Pausanius. "Description of Greece", 9.5.4.] When Labdacus had grown, he ruled Thebes for a short time. He died while he was still young, after he lost a war with the king of Athens, Pandion, over their borders. [Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Crowell Company, 1970, p. 335.] Apollodorus writes that he, like his nephew Pentheus, was ripped apart by women in a bacchic frenzy for disrespect to the god Dionysus. [Apollodorus. "The Library", 3.5.5.] Lycus became regent once more after his death, this time for Labdacus' son, Laius. His descendants were called Labdacids, and included Oedipus, Laius, Antigone, Polynices, Eteocles and Ismene.

References