- Erginus
In
Greek mythology , Erginus was king of MinyanOrchomenus inBoeotia . He was the son ofClymenus , his predecessor, and Buzyge (orBudeia ). Erginus avenged his father's death at the hands of the Thebans; he made war against Thebes, inflicting a heavy defeat. The Thebans were compelled to pay King Erginus a tribute of 100 oxen per year for twenty years. However, the tribute ended earlier than Erginus expected, whenHeracles attacked the Minyan emissaries sent to exact the tribute. This prompted a second war between Orchomenus and Thebes, only this time Thebes (under the leadership of Heracles) was victorious. Erginus was slain in battle, leaving behind a son namedAzeus - according to the version of the story given by most ancient writers (e.g.,Apollodorus ,Strabo ,Eustathius ). In Homer, Azeus was the grandfather of the Orchomenian leaders in the Trojan War. But according to Pausanias, Erginus was spared by Heracles and lived to a ripe old age, and even fathered two sons (Trophonius andAgamedes ) on a younger woman.Another Erginus was an Argonaut; he piloted the "Argo" after
Tiphys 's death. He is said to be the son ofPoseidon , and to have resided in theCaria n city ofMiletus .
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