Agamedes

Agamedes

In Greek mythology, Agamedes (Greek: polytonic|Ἀγαμήδης) was a son of Erginus (or, according to some traditions, the son of Stymphalus and grandson of Arcas). [Pausanias, viii. 4. § 5, 5. § 3] He was father of Cercyon by Epicaste, who also brought to him a stepson, Trophonius, who was by some believed to be a son of Apollo. According to others, Agamedes was a son of Apollo and Epicaste, or of Zeus and Iocaste, and father of Trophonius. In the most common accounts, Trophonius was his brother.Citation
last = Schmitz
first = Leonhard
author-link =
contribution = Agamedes
editor-last = Smith
editor-first = William
title = Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 57
publisher =
place = Boston
year = 1870
contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0066.html
]

The two brothers are said to have distinguished themselves as architects, especially in building temples and palaces. They built Apollo's temple housing the oracle of Delphi. [Pausanias ix. 37- § 3] [Strabo, ix. p. 421.] A tradition mentioned by Cicero states that Agamedes and Tropho­nius, after having built this temple, prayed to the god to grant them in reward for their labor what was best for men. [Cicero, "Tusculanae Quaestiones" i. 47] The oracle told the brothers to do whatsoever they wished for six days and, on the seventh, their greatest wish would be granted. They did and were found dead on the seventh day. The saying "those whom the gods love die young" comes from this story.

They also built a treasury of Hyprieus, king of Hyria in Boeotia. The scholiast on Aristophanes gives a somewhat different account from Charax of Pergamum, ["Nub". 508] and makes them build the treasury for King Augeas. The story about this treasury in Pausanias bears a great resemblance to that which Herodotus relates of the treasury of the Egyptian king Rhampsinitus. [Herodotus, ii. 121] In the construction of the treasury of Hyrieus, Agamedes and Trophonius contrived to place one stone in such a manner that it could be taken away outside, and thus formed an entrance to the treasury, without anybody perceiving it. Agamedes and Trophonius constantly robbed the treasury; and the king, seeing that locks and seals were uninjured while his treasures were constantly decreasing, set traps to catch the thief. Agamedes caught in one of these snares, and Trophonius cut off his head to keep Agamedes's identity secret.

After this, Trophonius was immediately swallowed up by the earth. On this spot there was afterwards, in the grove of Lebadeia, the so-called cave of Agamedes, with a column by the side of it. Here also was the oracle of Trophonius, and those who consulted it first offered a ram to Agamedes and invoked him. [Pausanias ix. 39. § 4]

The question as to whether the story about the Egyptian treasury is derived from Greece, or whether the Greek story was an importation from Egypt, has been answered by modern scholars in both ways; but Müller has rendered it very probable that the tradition took its rise among the Minyans, was transferred from them to Augeas, and was known in Greece long before the reign of Psammetichus, during which the intercourse between the two countries was opened.

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  • Agamedes — (griechisch Ἀγαμήδης) ist in der griechischen Mythologie ein Sohn des Königs Erginos von Orchomenos, aus dem Geschlecht der Minyer, Bruder des Trophonios und wie dieser als Baumeister berühmt. Beide bauten (nach Pausanias) dem König Hyrieus… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Agamedes — AGAMEDES, is, (⇒ Tab. XXV.) des Erginus, Königes der Minyer, Sohn, war mit seinem Bruder Trophonius ein sonderbarer Baumeister, und sie errichteten beyde so wohl dem Apollo zu Delphi den Tempel, als auch dem Hyrieus eine Schatzkammer Bey dieser… …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Agamēdes — Agamēdes, 1) König von Stymphalos in Arkadien, durch Epikaste Vater des Kerkyon; 2) Sohn des Erginos, geschickter Baumeister, soll mit seinem Bruder Trophonios das Schatzhaus des Augias zu Elis od. des Hyrieus in Böotien gebaut u. dasselbe ganz… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Agamēdes — Agamēdes, berühmter Baumeister der altgriech. Sage, wie sein Bruder Trophonios (s. d.) …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Agamedes — s. Trophonius …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • Agamédes — AGAMÉDES, is, Gr. Ἀγαμήδης, εος, (⇒ Tab. XIX.) des Stymphalus Sohn, dessen Sohn Cercyon, dieses Sohn aber Hwpothous war, welcher nach dem Agapen or König in Arkadien wurde. Pausan. Arcad. c. 5 …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Agamedes — En la mitología griega Agamedes (en griego antiguo Ἀγαμήδης) era un hijo de Ergino, rey de los minios de Orcómeno, y hermano por tanto del célebre Trofonio. Otras versiones lo hacen hijo de Apolo y Epicaste y padrastro de Trofonio, o hijo de Zeus …   Wikipedia Español

  • AGAMEDES et TROPHONIUS — adytum Delphicum ex quinque lapibus construxerunt, cuius meriti nomine quum ab Apolline praemium postulâssent, quod ille optimum homini duceret, post diem tertium in lecto mortui reperti sunt. Vide Cicer. l, 1. Tusc. c. 114. Plut. in Consol. ad… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Agamédès — Agamède Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Dans la mythologie grecque, ce nom peut désigner : Agamède fils d Erginos ; Agamède fils de Stymphalos. Ce document provient de «… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Epikaste (Gattin des Agamedes) — Epikaste (griechisch Ἐπικάστη) ist eine Person der griechischen Mythologie. Sie ist die Gattin des Agamedes in Arkadien. Mit diesem hat sie die Kinder Trophonis und Kerkyon. Quelle Scholion zu Aristophanes Nubes 508. Literatur August Schultz …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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