Cadmus was the founder and first king of Thebes in Greek mythology. He was the son of King Agenor and Queen Telephassa of the Phoenician city of Tyre, and brother of Phoenix, Cilix, and Europa. He was believed to be the person who introduced the Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks, who later adapted it to their own style.
Who is Cadmus?
In Greek mythology, Cadmus is known as the founder and first king of Thebes. He had a long and adventurous life and is considered as heroic as the legendary combination of Pegasus and Bellerophon. Cadmus is best known for introducing the Phoenician alphabet to the Greeks. They then adapted it, made it their own, and presented it to the rest of the world.
Family
Cadmus’ parents were Kings Agenor and Telephassa, who ruled the Phoenician city of Tyre. As a young prince, he lived an extravagant and adventurous life surrounded by family. His siblings were Phoenix, Cilix, and Europa. Europa would play an important role in his future. He eventually became known as the first Greek hero by following the path of life that the gods had laid out for him.
Unbeknownst to him, the dragon he killed was the son of the god Ares. Ares was enraged and punished him by making him his servant for the next eight years. After serving his sentence, Ares forgave Cadmus. In fact, he even gave him his daughter, Harmonia, in marriage. All the gods came to the wedding, and the god Hephaestus gave him a gold necklace to give to his new bride.
Children of Cadmus
The couple had five children together, named Autonoe, Ino, Semele, Agave, and Polydorus. Cadmus thought he had moved on after the unexpected murder of the dragon, but a curse still hung over his family. With the support of his wife and family, he moved his loved ones to the land of the Enchelians. The people there made him king, and he soon led them to victory against a neighboring tribe they were fighting.
When the war ended, Harmonia gave birth to another son, Illyria. After the birth, Cadmus began to struggle with his inner thoughts. He felt that a snake would be happier than he was. Ares got his ultimate revenge on him by transforming him into the snake he had fantasized about being. Harmonia was devastated and asked the gods to grant her the same fate. Zeus felt compassion for the lovers and eventually took them to the Elysian Fields, a plot of land reserved for those favored by the gods, where they entered the afterlife.
Appearance
He is typically depicted as a simple man. Sometimes he is dressed in simple clothes, and other times in outfits that only a king would wear. Because he was a hero and a successful warrior, he is also shown in his armor. In general, he was an attractive young man whose presence was powerful and commanding. If you see a work of art depicting Cadmus, he is most likely fighting a dragon, sowing the dragon’s teeth, or shown as a snake with his wife Harmonia.
Myths of Cadmus
He is known as the first Greek hero, and there are two main legends associated with his journey.
Lost Sister
As mentioned above, Cadmus’ sister, Europa, would play an important role in his life. One day, Europa was out with her friends picking flowers when Zeus approached them disguised as a white bull. Europa approached the bull to pet it, but when she stepped on it, the bull ran away, kidnapping Europa on its back. He swam across the sea and arrived in Crete. It was then that Europa realized she had been kidnapped by Zeus. She married a local king, making her the first queen of Crete.
However, her family did not know what had become of her, and her father sent all her brothers to search for her. He told them not to return until they had rescued their sister. Their mother also accompanied them as they searched everywhere for their beloved Europa. But there were no clues as to her whereabouts, and the brothers began to settle in different areas, unable to return home to their father.
A cow and a village
Cadmus and his mother settled together in Thrace. His mother died shortly after, as the pain of her missing daughter was too much for her heart to bear. Cadmus honored his mother properly and then went to the Oracle of Delphi to begin the search for his sister once again.
He was surprised when the oracle told him to stop searching for his sister. Instead, he was to found a new city. He was instructed to find a cow with the symbol of a crescent moon and follow it until it stopped to rest. At that spot, he was to build a new city.
Cadmus wanted to sacrifice the cow to Athena to thank her for allowing him to progress on his journey. To complete the sacrifice, he sent his friends to find pure water. They found a spring and began to fill their vessels, when a fierce dragon attacked them, killing every last one of them.
When no one returned, Cadmus went out to look for his friends. He also encountered the dragon and killed it in revenge. He finally sacrificed the cow to Athena, who told him to collect the dragon’s teeth and plant them. From the earth arose a tribe of fierce warriors. They immediately began fighting among themselves and continued the battle until only five remained.
Finally, they made peace and became known as the Spartoi. They then helped Cadmus build the city of Cadmea, which he eventually renamed Thebes, in honor of the Egyptian city of the same name.
Symbolism
There are three main elements most commonly associated with Cadmus. The first is the alphabet, which he introduced to the Greeks, and essentially to the rest of the world as it spread to the Romans and the rest of Europe. He is also associated with the cow that he followed until it rested, which led to the founding of a new city. The last thing most commonly associated with Cadmus is the act of sowing, which led to the Spartoi.
