# Argynnus

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{{Short description|Greek mythological boy from Boeotia}}

In [Greek mythology](/source/Greek_mythology), '''Argynnus''' ({{langx|grc|Ἄργυννος|Árgunnos}}) is a young and handsome boy from [Boeotia](/source/Boeotia).<ref>Graf, para. 1.</ref> He is said to have been a lover of the Greek king [Agamemnon](/source/Agamemnon), and to have later died in the [Cephissus](/source/Cephissus_(Boeotia)) river. Agamemnon subsequently establishes the worship of [Aphrodite](/source/Aphrodite) under the [epithet](/source/epithet) "[Argynnus](/source/Argennis)".

His story is told by the Greek elegiac poet [Phanocles](/source/Phanocles), as well as by [Athenaeus](/source/Athenaeus) and the Roman poet [Propertius](/source/Propertius).

== Family ==
According to the Byzantine author [Stephanus of Byzantium](/source/Stephanus_of_Byzantium), he is the son of [Pisidice](/source/Pisidice), while [Likymnios of Chios](/source/Likymnios_of_Chios) considered him the lover of the god [Hymenaeus](/source/Hymen_(god)).

== Mythology ==
According to the elegiac poet [Phanocles](/source/Phanocles), while [Agamemnon](/source/Agamemnon) is in the town of [Aulis](/source/Aulis_(ancient_Greece)), he becomes enamoured of Argynnus. His love for the boy causes him to forget his troops. The boy later dies from drowning in the [Cephissus](/source/Cephissus_(Boeotia)) river, leading Agamemnon to start a cult to [Aphrodite](/source/Aphrodite) [Argynnus](/source/Argennis).<ref>Graf, para. 1.</ref>

The Greek grammarian and rhetorician [Athenaeus](/source/Athenaeus) (2nd to 3rd century AD) tells a similar tale, of how Agamemnon mourned the loss of Argynnus, his friend or lover,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ἄργυννος |url=https://logeion.uchicago.edu/%E1%BC%8C%CF%81%CE%B3%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%BD%CE%BF%CF%82 |website=Logeion |publisher=The University of Chicago |access-date=28 July 2023}}</ref> when he drowned in the [Cephisus](/source/Cephissus_(Boeotia)) river.<ref name=ArgynnusLD>{{cite web|last=Lewis|first=Charlton T.|author2=Short, Charles|title=Argynnus|work=[A Latin Dictionary](/source/A_Latin_Dictionary)|publisher=[Perseus Project](/source/Perseus_Project)|url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3DArgynnus|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref> He buried him, honored with a tomb and a shrine to Aphrodite Argynnus.<ref>''The Deipnosophists of [Athenaeus of Naucratis](/source/Athenaeus_of_Naucratis)'', Book XIII Concerning Women, 80D (p. 603)</ref>

The Roman elegiac poet [Propertius](/source/Propertius) tells of "Agamemnon's woe" at the loss of the young man, who he calls a descendant of [Athamas](/source/Athamas). He also states that Agamemnon does not set sail, ultimately leading to the sacrifice of his daughter, [Iphigenia](/source/Iphigenia).<ref>Goold, p. 245.</ref>

This episode is also found in [Clement of Alexandria](/source/Clement_of_Alexandria).<ref>Clement of Alexandria, ''[Protrepticus](/source/Protrepticus_(Clement))'' II.38.2</ref>

According to the Byzantine grammarian [Stephanus of Byzantium](/source/Stephanus_of_Byzantium) (fl. 6th century AD), Argynnus is a prince from Boeotia, one of the sons of the queen [Pisidice](/source/Pisidice), placing him as a descendant of Athamas, and ultimately of [Aeolus](/source/Aeolus_(son_of_Hellen)). He briefly recounts the story of his death.<ref>[Stephanus of Byzantium](/source/Stephanus_of_Byzantium), ''[Ethnica](/source/Ethnica)'', [https://topostext.org/work/241#A114.8 A114.8]</ref>

According to [Athenaeus](/source/Athenaeus), [Likymnios of Chios](/source/Likymnios_of_Chios), in his ''Dithyrambics'', says that Argynnus was a lover of the god [Hymenaeus](/source/Hymen_(god)).<ref name=Athenaeus1380>[Athenaeus](/source/Athenaeus), ''Deipnosophists'', [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Ath.+13.80&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2013.01.0003 13.80]</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist}}

== References ==
* [Athenaeus of Naucratis](/source/Athenaeus), ''[The Deipnosophists](/source/Deipnosophistae) or Banquet of the Learned.'' London. Henry G. Bohn, York Street, Covent Garden. 1854. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2013.01.0003 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
* Athenaeus of Naucratis, ''Deipnosophistae''. Kaibel. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1887. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2013.01.0001 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* Goold, G. P., ''Propertius. Elegies'', [Loeb Classical Library](/source/Loeb_Classical_Library) No. 18, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1990. {{ISBN|978-0-674-99020-3}}. [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/LCL018/1990/volume.xml Loeb Classical Library].
* Graf, Fritz, "Argynnus", in ''[Brill's New Pauly](/source/Brill's_New_Pauly): Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 1'', A &ndash; Ari, edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, Brill, 2002. {{ISBN|9004122583}}.
* [Stephanus of Byzantium](/source/Stephanus_of_Byzantium), ''Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt,'' edited by August Meineike (1790–1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. [https://topostext.org/work/241 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]

Category:Mythological Boeotians
Category:LGBTQ themes in Greek mythology
Category:Princes in Greek mythology
Category:Agamemnon

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Argynnus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argynnus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argynnus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.