In Greek mythology, Nycteus (/ˈnɪktjuːs/; Greek: Νυκτεύς, romanized: Nukteús, lit. 'nocturnal') was a king of Thebes. His rule began after the death of Polydorus, and ended when he was succeeded by his brother Lycus.

Family[edit]

Nycteus and his brother Lycus were the sons of either Chthonius, one of the Spartoi,^[1] or of the nymph Clonia and Hyrieus, the son of Poseidon and the Atlantid Alkyone,^[2] or of Poseidon and the Pleiad Celaeno. Nycteus had two daughters by Polyxo, Nycteis and Antiope.

Mythology[edit]

The Nycteus and Lycus fled from Euboea after they murdered King Phlegyas, settling in Hyria and then moving to Thebes, because they were friends with Pentheus, its king.^[3] Nycteus's daughter, Nycteis married Polydorus, who was the successor of Pentheus, and their son was Labdacus. However, Pentheus and Polydorus both died soon after, and Nycteus became regent for Labdacus.^[1]

After Antiope was impregnated by Zeus and fled to marry king Epopeus in Sicyon, the Bibliotheca reports that Nycteus killed himself in shame, after asking Lycus to punish her.^[4] Pausanias, however, states that Nycteus led the Thebans against Epopeus, but was wounded and carried back to Thebes, where he died after asking Lycus to continue the battle.^[5] Lycus succeeded him as regent of Thebes.

Theban royal family tree[edit]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

• Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Pausanias, 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. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.