Foroneo

In Greek mythology, Phoroneus (in ancient Greek: Φορωνεύς) was a king of the Peloponnese and a cult hero of the Argolis. He was the first inhabitant of Argos and the first to use fire. Phoroneo is always described as the son of the river god Inacus and one of the oceanids, called Melia or Argía. His tomb was shown in Argos, where it was found. they offered him sacrifices as a hero.

He gathered and civilized the inhabitants of the country, hitherto wild and wandering, taught them how to make fire (he was the first man to discover it after Prometheus had stolen it), introduced them to the cult of Hera and built for them the city of Foronea, which his grandson would baptize with the name of Argos. He was the first man to build a city, and Zeus gave him permission to rule over other humans for being so merciful to the gods, particularly Hera, to whom he built a temple. It was during the reign of Foroneo when Hermes taught men the different languages, since until then they had spoken a common language. But for this Eris, Discord, settled among mortals, dividing them into different nations.

Pliny gave him the title of "oldest king of Greece", while the epic poem of Phoronidas calls him "father of mortals" and "first of humans". . For him the inhabitants of Argos in general, and especially his descendants Amphiarao and Adrasto, received the patronymic of Foroneidas.

Consorts and offspring

Taking the Apollodoric text, Phoroneo's wife was the nymph Teledice, who gave him Apis, who died childless, and also Niobe. She, together with Zeus, was the mother of the eponymous Argos, from whom the main branch of Argive heroes descends.

However, the different authors do not agree on the name of Foroneo's consort (up to seven names are being considered), much less on the list of their children (up to ten sons and four daughters, taking all the different versions).

Pausanias, for his part, says that he married the nymph Cerdo, but does not explicitly indicate the children he had with her. However, the same author cites several children of Foroneo, namely: Espartón, Níobe, Europe (male name), Clímeno and Chtonia or Car.

A scholar about Euripides says that he first married Peito and then Europa (both Oceanids); with the first he had Aegialeo and Apis, but with the second Niobe.

Helanico, for his part, affirms that he had three sons, Pelasgo, Yaso and Agénor, who shared the kingdom when Foroneo died.

Other authors call his wife Laodice or Perimede; and that their son, without specifying a consort, was Lyrco. Clement mentions his daughter Phthia, who became the mother of Achaeus by Zeus.

Finally, an unnamed daughter of Foroneo is mentioned, who together with Doro, son of Helen, was the mother of five daughters, whose names have not survived; nonetheless these daughters were the collective mothers of the races of nymphs (Oreads), curets (natives of Pleuron) and satyrs.