In
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...
, Myles (;
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 p ...
: Μύλης means 'mill-man') was an ancient king of
Laconia. He was the son of the King
Lelex
In Greek mythology, Lelex (; Ancient Greek: Λέλεξ, ''gen.'' Λέλεγος) was one of the original inhabitants of Laconia which was called after him, its first king, Lelegia.
Mythology
Lelex was said to be autochthonous or his father ...
and possibly the
naiad Queen
Cleocharia
In Greek mythology, Cleocharia (; Ancient Greek: Κλεοχαρείας ''Kleokhareia'') was a naiad of Laconia who later on became the queen-consort of King Lelex of Lelegia. She was the ancestress of the Spartan royal family and gave birth to ...
, and brother of
Polycaon In Greek mythology, the name Polycaon (; Ancient Greek: Πολυκάων means ''"much-burning"'') may refer to the following individuals:
*Polycaon, son of Lelex, king of Laconia, by the Naiad nymph, Cleochareia. Polycaon married an ambitious w ...
. Myles was the father of
Eurotas
In Greek mythology, Eurotas (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρώτας) was a king of Laconia. Family
Eurotas was the son of King Myles of Laconia and grandson of Lelex, eponymous ancestor of the Leleges. The '' Bibliotheca'' gave a slight variant of th ...
who begotten
Sparta
Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...
after whom the
city of Sparta was named.
Mythology
After Lelex's death, Myles ruled over Laconia, and later on, following his own death, his son Eurotas succeeded him.
Myles was said to be the first mortal to invent a mill and ground corn in
Alesiae.
References
{{Greek-myth-stub
Princes in Greek mythology
Mythological kings of Laconia
Kings in Greek mythology
Laconian characters in Greek mythology
Characters in Greek mythology
Laconian mythology