Illyrius
Encyclopedia
Illyrius is a name known in different stories found in ancient Greek mythology
.
, Illyrius was the youngest son of Cadmus
and Harmonia
who eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the whole Illyrian people. Illyrius was specifically born during an expedition against the Illyrians
on the side of the Encheleans.
, Illyrius was the son of the Cyclops
Polyphemus
and his wife Galatea
with siblings Celtus and Galas
. The children of Polyphemus all migrated from Sicily
and ruled over the peoples named after them, the Celts, the Illyrians
, and the Galatians
. This particular genealogy was most likely composed by the ancient Greek
founders of Epidamnus (Corinth
ians and Corcyrans) and preserved in Appian's work.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
Cadmus and Harmonia
According to the Library and Epitome of ApollodorusApollodorus
Apollodorus of Athens son of Asclepiades, was a Greek scholar and grammarian. He was a pupil of Diogenes of Babylon, Panaetius the Stoic, and the grammarian Aristarchus of Samothrace...
, Illyrius was the youngest son of Cadmus
Cadmus
Cadmus or Kadmos , in Greek mythology was a Phoenician prince, the son of king Agenor and queen Telephassa of Tyre and the brother of Phoenix, Cilix and Europa. He was originally sent by his royal parents to seek out and escort his sister Europa back to Tyre after she was abducted from the shores...
and Harmonia
Harmonia
-Art:* Harmonia , an outdoor sculpture by Achim Kühn in Turku, Finland-Antiquity:* Harmonia , the Greek goddess of harmony and concord* Harmonia -Art:* Harmonia (sculpture), an outdoor sculpture by Achim Kühn in Turku, Finland-Antiquity:* Harmonia (mythology), the Greek goddess of harmony and...
who eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the whole Illyrian people. Illyrius was specifically born during an expedition against the Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
on the side of the Encheleans.
Polyphemus and Galatea
According to the Illyrian Wars of AppianAppian
Appian of Alexandria was a Roman historian of Greek ethnicity who flourished during the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.He was born ca. 95 in Alexandria. He tells us that, after having filled the chief offices in the province of Egypt, he went to Rome ca. 120, where he practised as...
, Illyrius was the son of the Cyclops
Cyclops
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
Polyphemus
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
and his wife Galatea
Galatea
Galatea is an ancient Greek name meaning "she who is milk-white".Galatea or Galathea may refer to:-In mythology:* Galatea :**Galatea, a woman who prayed for her daughter to be turned into a son, Leucippus...
with siblings Celtus and Galas
Galas
In Greek mythology, the name Galas was attributed to individuals. Galas, in mythological accounts, was regarded as the eponymous founder of the Gauls.*Galas was the son of Polyphemos and Galatea and the brother of Illyrius and Keltos....
. The children of Polyphemus all migrated from Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and ruled over the peoples named after them, the Celts, the Illyrians
Illyrians
The Illyrians were a group of tribes who inhabited part of the western Balkans in antiquity and the south-eastern coasts of the Italian peninsula...
, and the Galatians
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
. This particular genealogy was most likely composed by the ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
founders of Epidamnus (Corinth
Ancient Corinth
Corinth, or Korinth was a city-state on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece, roughly halfway between Athens and Sparta. The modern town of Corinth is located approximately northeast of the ancient ruins...
ians and Corcyrans) and preserved in Appian's work.
Progeny
Illyrius had six sons and three daughters whose names were associated with specific tribes:Sons
- Encheleus (Εγχελέα) of the Enchelaeae
- AutarieusAutarieusIn Greek mythology, Autarieus was one of the sons of Illyrius and the eponymous founder of the Autariates....
(Αυταριέα) of the Autariates - Dardanus (Δάρδανον) of the DardaniDardaniDardania was the region of the Dardani .Located at the Thraco-Illyrian contact zone, their identification as either an Illyrian or Thracian tribe is uncertain. Their territory itself was not considered part of Illyria by Strabo. The term used for their territory was , while for other tribes had...
- Maedus (Μαίδον)
- TaulasTaulasIn Greek mythology, Taulas was one of the six sons of Illyrius and the eponymous ancestor of the Taulanti....
(Ταυλαντά) of the TaulantiiTaulantiiTaulantii was the name of a cluster of Illyrian tribes. According to Greek mythology Taulas , one of the six sons of Illyrius, was the eponymous ancestor of the Taulanti. They lived on the Adriatic coast of Illyria , between to the vicinity of the city of Epidamnus... - PerrhaebusPerrhaebusIn Greek mythology, Perrhaebus was one of the sons of Illyrius and the eponymous founder of the Perrhaebi....
(Περραιβόν) of the PerrhaebiPerrhaebiThe Perrhaebi were an ancient Greek people who lived in northern Thessaly. They took part in the Trojan War under Guneus and also fought in the Battle of Thermopylae. Their capital was Phalanna, and their most significant town, or polis, was Oloosson...
Daughters
- Partho (Πάρθω) of the Partheni
- Daortho (Δαορθώ) of the Daors
- Dassaro (Δασσαρώ) of the Dassaretae
Greatgrandsons
- Scordiscus (son of Pannonius) of the ScordisciScordisciThe Scordisci were an Iron Age tribe centered in the territory of present-day Serbia, at the confluence of the Savus , Dravus and Danube rivers. They were historically notable from the beginning of the third century BC until the turn of the common era...
- Triballus (son of Pannonius) of the TriballiTriballiThe Triballi were an ancient tribe whose dominion was around the plains of southern modern Serbia and west Bulgaria, at the Angrus and Brongus and the Iskur River, roughly centered where Serbia and Bulgaria are joined....