Cadmos - Kadmos (English spelling)

In Greek mythology, he was the founder and first king of Thebes. He was the son of Agenor and Telephassa, kings of Tyre (or Sidon) in Phoenicia. When his sister Europa was seduced by Zeus, he went on a journey to search for her with his mother at his father's command, and reached Thrace. Later, he followed a cow to Thebes, following the oracle of Delphi. Cadmus had his attendant draw water from the spring of Ares to offer a sacrifice to the goddess Athena, but the dragon guarding the spring killed his attendant. Cadmus fought the dragon, killed it, and scattered its teeth in the earth. Armed warriors sprouted from the teeth, so he threw stones into them to make them fight each other, and finally got the remaining five to cooperate and build the city of Thebes. After becoming king of Thebes, he married Ares' daughter Harmonia and had three daughters, Autonoe, Ino, Agave, and Semele, and a son, Polydorus. He later handed over the throne to his grandson Pentheus and retired to Illyria, and was eventually transformed into a giant snake and sent to Elysium along with his wife. He is said to have brought writing to Greece and laid the foundation for civilization.

[Kazuhiko Tange]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話で、テバイ（テーベ）の都の創建者、また初代の王。フェニキアのティロス（またはシドン）の王アゲノルとテレファッサの息子。姉妹のエウロペがゼウスにかどわかされたとき、父の命令で母親を連れてその捜索の旅に出、トラキアに至るが、のちにデルフォイの神託に従って1頭の牝牛(めうし)の後を追い、テバイの地へやってきた。カドモスはここでアテネ女神に犠牲を捧(ささ)げるため従者にアレスの泉の水をくみにやらせるが、泉を守る竜が従者を殺したためにこれと闘って倒し、その歯を大地に播(ま)いた。するとその歯から武装した戦士が生え出たので、その中に石を投げ込んで同士討ちをさせ、最後に残った5人に協力させてテバイの都を建設した。テバイ王となった彼はアレスの娘ハルモニアと結婚し、アウトノエ、イノ、アガウエ、セメレらの娘と息子ポリドロスを得た。のちに王位を孫のペンテウスに譲ってイリリアへ隠退し、最後には妻とともに大蛇と化して極楽浄土(エリシオン)へ送られた。彼は文字をギリシアに持ち込み、文明開化の礎(いしずえ)を築いた人物とされる。

［丹下和彦］

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