Copreus

Copreus

In Greek mythology, Copreus (Κοπρεύς) was King Eurystheus' herald. He announced Heracles' Twelve Labors. Copreus was said to be a son of Pelops and Hippodameia. He was a fugitive from Elis where he had killed a man called Iphitus, but Eurystheus purified him of the murder.[1] He had a son named Periphetes, who features briefly in the Iliad as a well-loved warrior speared by Hector[2] or killed by Teucer.[3] By contrast, Copreus is disparaged by Homer:

So of a sire much baser an excellent son was begotten
better in prowess of every sort, on his feet and in battle[4]

His name is usually translated as 'dung man', or something equally unflattering. However, the name 'Copreus' may originally have had more positive connotations, meaning 'grazier' or 'man of the land', and been associated with the ownership of cattle rather than just their dung (κόπρος).

Notes

  1. ^ ""He sent his commands for the labours through a herald, Copreus, son of Pelops the Eleian. This Copreus had killed Iphitus and fled to Mycenae, where he was purified by Eurystheus and took up his abode." (Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheke 2.5.1).
  2. ^ Iliad 15.638.
  3. ^ "Teucer also killed Prothoon and Periphetes." (Iliad 14.515).
  4. ^ Iliad 15.641f.

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Heracleidae (play) — Infobox Play | name = Heracleidae caption = Statue of Euripides writer = Euripides chorus = aged Athenians characters = Iolaus Copreus Demophon Macaria Servant of Hyllus Alcmene Messenger Eurystheus Acamas setting = Before the temple of Zeus at… …   Wikipedia

  • Arion — Arion, prop. n. In Greek legend, a fabulous horse, the offspring of Poseidon by Demeter (or, in other accounts, Gaea or a harpy) who to escape him had metamorphosed herself into a mare. It was successively owned by Copreus, Oncus, Heracles, and… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Eurystheus — In Greek mythology, Eurystheus was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid: Sthenelus was his father and the horsewoman Nicippe his mother, and he was a grandson of the hero Perseus, as was his opponent Heracles. He was… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Greek mythological figures — A listing of Greek mythological beings. Many of the gods and goddesses had Roman and Etruscan equivalents. See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. For a list of the deities of many cultures (including… …   Wikipedia

  • Pelops — In Greek mythology, Pelops (Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios : dark; and ops : face, eye), king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus, was venerated at Olympia, where his cult developed into the founding myth of the Olympic Games, the most important expression of… …   Wikipedia

  • Periphetes — Club Bearer redirects here. For the star Kornephoros, see Beta Herculis. Periphetes (Περιφήτης) is the name of several characters from Greek mythology. The most prominent Periphetes, also known as Corynetes or the Club Bearer, was a son of… …   Wikipedia

  • Iphitos — (or Iphitus) was a name attributed to five individuals in Greek mythology.*Iphitos was the son of Eurytus, king of Oechalia. Moreover, he was a descendant of Oxylus. After defeating Eurytus in an archery contest, Heracles was accused of stealing… …   Wikipedia

  • Heroic Age — The Heroic Age was the period of Greek mythological history that lay between the purely divine events of the Theogony and Titanomachy and the advent of historical time after the Trojan War. It was demarcated as one of the five Ages of Man by… …   Wikipedia

  • Tantalus son of Thyestes — In Greek mythology, Tantalus was a son of Thyestes and a prince of southern Argolis. He was killed along with his brother Pleisthenes, by Thyestes s brother Atreus. Atreus killed his nephews because Thyestes seduced his wife, Aerope.Atreus was… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”