Illyrius

Illyrius and his kin.

Illyrius (Ancient Greek: Ἰλλυριός) is a name known in different stories found in ancient Greek mythology.

Origins

Cadmus and Harmonia

According to the Bibliotheca, Illyrius was the youngest son of Cadmus and Harmonia who eventually ruled Illyria and became the eponymous ancestor of the whole Illyrian people.^[1] Illyrius was specifically born during an expedition against the Illyrians on the side of the Encheleans.^[2]

Polyphemus and Galatea

According to the Illyrian Wars of Appian, 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.^[3] This particular genealogy was most likely composed by the ancient Greek founders of Epidamnus (Corinthians and Corcyrans) and preserved in Appian's work.^[4]

Progeny

Illyrius had six sons and three daughters whose names were associated with specific tribes:^[5]

Sons

• Encheleus (Εγχελέα) of the Enchelaeae
• Autarieus (Αυταριέα) of the Autariates
• Dardanus (Δάρδανον) of the Dardani
• Maedus (Μαίδον)
• Taulas (Ταυλαντά) of the Taulantii
• Perrhaebus (Περραιβόν) of the Perrhaebi

Daughters

• Partho (Πάρθω) of the Partheni
• Daortho (Δαορθώ) of the Daors
• Dassaro (Δασσαρώ) of the Dassaretae

Grandsons

• Pannonius or Paeon (son of Autarieus) of the Pannonians

Greatgrandsons

• Scordiscus (son of Pannonius) of the Scordisci
• Triballus (son of Pannonius) of the Triballi

See also

• List of ancient tribes in Illyria

References

Citations

1. Apollodorus & Hard 1999, p. 103 (Book III, 5.4); Grimal & Maxwell-Hyslop 1996, pp. 83, 230.
2. Apollodorus & Hard 1999, p. 103 (Book III, 5.4); Grimal & Maxwell-Hyslop 1996, pp. 83, 230.
3. Appian. The Illyrian Wars.
4. Lewis et al. 1994, p. 423.
5. Wilkes 1995, p. 92.

Sources

• Apollodorus; Hard, Robin (1999). The Library of Greek Mythology. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-283924-1.
• Grimal, Pierre; Maxwell-Hyslop, A. R. (1996). The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-20102-5.
• Lewis, D. M.; Boardman, John; Hornblower, Simon; Ostwald, M. (1994). The Cambridge Ancient History, Volume 6: The Fourth Century BC. Cambridge University Press.
• Wilkes, John J. (1995). The Illyrians. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-631-19807-5.