Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, Itonus (;

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

: Ἴτωνος means 'willow—man'), also Itonius, may refer to two individuals: * Itonus, king of

Iton Iton () is a river in Normandy, France, left tributary of the river Eure. It is long. Its source is near Moulins-la-Marche. For about 10 km between Orvaux and Glisolles, it disappears and pursues a subterranean course. The Iton flows thro ...

Phthiotis Phthiotis ( el, Φθιώτιδα, ''Fthiótida'', ; ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Φθιῶτις) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece. The capital is the city of Lamia. It is border ...

and son of

Amphictyon Amphictyon or Amphiktyon (; grc, Ἀμφικτύων), in Greek mythology, was a king of Thermopylae and later Athens. In one account, he was the ruler of Locris. Pseudo-Scymnos, ''Circuit de la terre'' 587 ff. Etymology The name of Amphictyon ...

. He was married to

Melanippe :''The name Melanippe is the feminine counterpart of Melanippus.'' In Greek mythology, Melanippe () referred to several different people: * Melanippe, daughter of the Centaur Chiron. Also known as Hippe or Euippe. She bore a daughter to Aeolus, Me ...

, a

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...

, and had a son

Boeotus In Greek mythology, Boeotus (; Ancient Greek: Βοιωτός ''Boiotos'') may refer to the following personages: * Boeotus, son of Poseidon and Arne.Scholia on Homer, ''Iliad'' B, 494, p. 80, 43 ed. Bekk. as cited in Hellanicus' ''Boeotica'' * ...

Scholia Scholia (singular scholium or scholion, from grc, σχόλιον, "comment, interpretation") are grammatical, critical, or explanatory comments – original or copied from prior commentaries – which are inserted in the margin of th ...

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

, ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odysse ...

'' B, 494, p. 80, 43 ed. Bekk. as cited in Hellanicus' ''Boeotica'' and two daughters,

Chromia In Greek mythology, Chromia (; Ancient Greek: , ''Khrōmía'') was the daughter of Itonus, son of Amphictyon, himself son of Deucalion. She was also, in some traditions, the mother of Aetolus, Paeon, Epeius and Eurycyda by Endymion. The poem ''E ...

and

Iodame In Greek mythology, Iodame or Iodama (; Ancient Greek: Ἰοδάμαν probably means 'heifer calf of Io'Graves, p. 47.) was a Ancient Thessaly, Thessalian princess as the daughter of King Itonus of Iton in Phthiotis. She was the granddaughter of Am ...

. He founded a sanctuary of

Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of ...

, where his daughter Iodame served as priestess. ''Itonis'' and ''Itonia'', surnames of Athena, were believed to have been derived from his name. According to

Graves A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as gravey ...

, the myth of Itonus represents a claim by the Itonians that they worshipped Athene even before the

Athenians Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

did and his name shows that she had a willow cult in Phthiotis — like that of her counterpart, the goddess Anatha, at

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

until Jehovah's priests ousted her and claimed the rain—making willow as his tree at the

Feast of Tabernacles or ("Booths, Tabernacles") , observedby = Jews, Samaritans, a few Protestant denominations, Messianic Judaism, Messianic Jews, Semitic Neopaganism, Semitic Neopagans , type = Jewish, Samaritan , begins = 15th day of Tishrei ...

. * Itonus, also the name of the son of another

(the son of

Poseidon Poseidon (; grc-gre, Ποσειδῶν) was one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and myth, god of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 In pre-Olympian Bronze Age Greece, he was venerated as a ch ...

). He was the father of

Electryon In Greek mythology, Electryon (;Ancient Greek: Ἠλεκτρύων) was a king of Tiryns and Mycenae or Medea in Argolis. Family Electryon was the son of Perseus and Andromeda and thus brother of Perses, Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, Sthenelus, C ...

Hippalcimus In Greek mythology, the name Hippalcimus (Ancient Greek: Ἱππάλκιμον) may refer to: *Hippalcimus, son of Itonus (himself son of Boeotus), and father, by Asterope, of Peneleos. Other variations of his name were Hippalcmas, Hippalkmos ( ...

Archilycus In Greek mythology, Archilycus (Ancient Greek: Ἀρχίλυκον) or Areilycus, was the father of Archesilaus and Prothoenor (by Theobula), who were the leaders of the Boeotians in the expedition against Troy. His father was Itonus, son of Bo ...

(

Areilycus In Greek mythology, Areilycus ( grc, Ἀρηίλυκος) was the name of two mythical personages in Homer's ''Iliad'' * Areilycus, one was the father of Archesilaus and Prothoenor. He is more commonly known as Archilycus. * Areilycus, son of Me ...

) and

Alegenor In Greek mythology, Alegenor (Ancient Greek: Ἀλεγήνωρ) was the son of Itonus, son of Boeotus. He was the brother to Hippalcimus, Electryon and Archilycus.Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca historica'' 4.67.7 ' Alegenor had two sons, Clonius ...

; his grandsons were the

Trojan War In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has ...

heroes

Leitus In Greek mythology, Leitus (; Ancient Greek: Λήϊτος ''Leϊtos'') was a leader of the Boeotians and admiral of 12 ships which sailed against Troy.Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' 97 Family Leitus was the son of Alector ( Alectryon) and Polybule or of ...

Peneleos In Greek mythology, Peneleos ( grc, Πηνελέως ''Pēneléōs'') or, less commonly, Peneleus ( ''Pēnéleos''), son of Hippalcimus ( Hippalmus) and Asterope, was an Achaean soldier in the Trojan War. Mythology Before the war began he wa ...

Prothoenor In Greek mythology, Prothoenor (Ancient Greek: Προθοήνωρ) was one of the Greek leaders in the Trojan War, from Thespiae in Boeotia, son of Areilycus (Archilycus) and Theobule, brother of Arcesilaus; he commanded eight ships. In one accoun ...

Arcesilaus Arcesilaus (; grc-gre, Ἀρκεσίλαος; 316/5–241/0 BC) was a Greek Hellenistic philosopher. He was the founder of Academic Skepticism and what is variously called the Second or Middle or New Academy – the phase of the Platonic Acade ...

and

Clonius In Greek mythology, the name Clonius (; Ancient Greek: Κλονίος, ''Kloníos'') may refer to: *Clonius, one of the Achaean leaders in the Trojan War, son of either Alegenor, or of Alector and Acteis, or of Lacritus and Cleobule, and in the ...

Diodorus Siculus Diodorus Siculus, or Diodorus of Sicily ( grc-gre, Διόδωρος ; 1st century BC), was an ancient Greek historian. He is known for writing the monumental universal history ''Bibliotheca historica'', in forty books, fifteen of which su ...

, 4.67.6

Notes

References

, '' The Library of History'' translated by

Charles Henry Oldfather Charles Henry Oldfather (13 June 1887 – 20 August 1954) was an American professor of history of the ancient world, specifically at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He was born in Tabriz, Persia. Parentage Oldfather's parents, Jeremiah and Fe ...

. Twelve volumes.

Loeb Classical Library The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a series of books originally published by Heinemann in London, but is currently published by Harvard University Press. The library contains important works of ancient Greek and L ...

. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8
Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
* Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
* Graves, Robert, ''The Greek Myths'', Harmondsworth, London, England, Penguin Books, 1960. *Graves, Robert, ''The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition.'' Penguin Books Limited. 2017. *

Pausanias Pausanias ( el, Παυσανίας) may refer to: *Pausanias of Athens, lover of the poet Agathon and a character in Plato's ''Symposium'' *Pausanias the Regent, Spartan general and regent of the 5th century BC *Pausanias of Sicily, physician of th ...

, ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
{{Greek myth index Kings in Greek mythology Boeotian characters in Greek mythology Characters in Greek mythology