# Cychreus > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cychreus > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Cychreus.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cychreus > Source revision: 1349274946 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Greek mythology figure}} In [Greek mythology](/source/Greek_mythology), '''Cychreus''' ({{langx|grc|Κυχρεύς}}) was a legendary king of [Salamis Island](/source/Salamis_Island). He was the son of the god [Poseidon](/source/Poseidon) and the nymph [Salamis](/source/Salamis_(mythology)). Various accounts describe Cychreus as a figure associated with [serpentine symbolism](/source/Serpent_symbolism): in some versions, he fought a dragon or serpent named [Cychreides](/source/Cychreides) that was terrorizing the island; in others, he raised a serpent as a pet or was himself called "the dragon" for his fierce temperament. Cychreus is linked to both the mythology of [Salamis Island](/source/Salamis_Island) and early [Athenian traditions](/source/Athenian_tradition_(philosophy)), where he became part of Athens's cultural and political narrative. His legacy includes connections with the founding myths of Athens and later figures, her daughter, [Periboea](/source/Periboea_(daughter_of_Alcathous)), married [Telamon](/source/Telamon) and bore him a son, [Ajax the Great](/source/Ajax_the_Great). Athenian leaders, such as [Solon](/source/Solon) and [Themistocles](/source/Themistocles), referenced Cychreus to reinforce claims over Salamis, and a sanctuary dedicated to him was reportedly established there. == Mythology == [[File:View of Salamina 1.jpg|thumb|[Salamis Island](/source/Salamis_Island) where Cychreus once ruled as king|250px]] Cychreus was considered a significant figure in the mythology of [Salamis](/source/Salamis_Island), an island near Athens. He was the son of [Poseidon](/source/Poseidon) and the nymph [Salamis](/source/Salamis_(mythology)).[Apollodorus](/source/Bibliotheca_(Apollodorus)), 3.12.7[Diodorus Siculus](/source/Diodorus_Siculus), ''Bibliotheca Historica'', 4.72.4 According to various myths, Cychreus had close ties with [serpentine symbolism](/source/Serpent_symbolism), which is central to his character in several ways: * Fought a dragon or serpent, [Cychreides](/source/Cychreides), that was terrorizing the island of Salamis, and upon slaying it was made king.[Apollodorus](/source/Bibliotheca_(Pseudo-Apollodorus)), 3.12.7Newman, Harold and Jon O. A Genealogical Chart of Greek Mythology. 2003. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press * Raised a dragon or serpent, Cychreides, as a pet, which later caused havoc on the island. It was eventually captured or driven away by [Eurylochus](/source/Eurylochus_(Greek_myth)), who gave it to [Demeter](/source/Demeter), who then kept it for her own.[Strabo](/source/Strabo), ''[Geographica](/source/Geographica)'' 9.1.9 with [Hesiod](/source/Hesiod) as the authority * Was known as "the dragon" for his short tempered nature, and terrorized the island of Salamis until driven off by Eurylochus. He was received at [Eleusis](/source/Eleusis) by Demeter, where he served as her [high priest](/source/high_priest).[Stephanus of Byzantium](/source/Stephanus_of_Byzantium), ''Ethnica'' s.v. ''[https://topostext.org/work/241#K399.2 Kychreios]'' == History and culture of Athens == Cychreus’s mythology holds particular significance for [Athens](/source/Classical_Athens), which laid cultural and political claims to the island of Salamis during the [Archaic](/source/Archaic_Greece) and [Classical](/source/Classical_Greece) periods. His story became part of Athens’s ideological narrative, with Athenian leaders using his myth to strengthen their connection to Salamis.{{Cite journal |last=Delcourt |first=Marie |date=1955 |title=Cychreus |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23666697 |journal=Revue de l'histoire des religions |volume=148 |issue=2 |pages=129–140 |doi=10.3406/rhr.1955.7061 |jstor=23666697 |issn=0035-1423|url-access=subscription }} Athenian lawmaker [Solon](/source/Solon), who wanted to annex Salamis from [Megara](/source/Megara), sought guidance from the oracle at [Delphi](/source/Delphi). Following the oracle’s instructions, Solon made sacrifices to Cychreus and other local heroes of Salamis. This ritualized invocation of Cychreus provided a divine endorsement of Athens’s territorial expansion, as well as framed the annexation as a restoration of shared cultural heritage. During the [Greco-Persian Wars](/source/Greco-Persian_Wars), [Themistocles](/source/Themistocles) invoked Cychreus in the buildup to the [Battle of Salamis](/source/Battle_of_Salamis). According to the historian [Herodotus](/source/Herodotus), a serpent—interpreted as a manifestation of Cychreus—appeared on the Athenian ships. The apparition was taken as a favorable [omen](/source/omen), which boosted the morale of Athenian forces before the battle. Themistocles later established a sanctuary for Cychreus on Salamis.[Pausanias](/source/Pausanias_(geographer)), 1.36.1. Cychreus's legacy was integrated into [genealogy](/source/genealogy) and linked to figures such as Telamon, a hero who was sometimes said to be Cychreus’s successor on Salamis. In some versions, Telamon, after fleeing from Aegina, married Cychreus's daughter, [Glauce](/source/Glauce), and became king of Salamis.[Apollodorus](/source/Bibliotheca_(Apollodorus)), 3.12.6, citing [Pherecydes of Leros](/source/Pherecydes_of_Leros). Through this marriage, Telamon’s son [Ajax the Great](/source/Ajax_the_Great), a hero of the [Trojan War](/source/Trojan_War), was also connected to Cychreus.[Diodorus Siculus](/source/Diodorus_Siculus), ''Bibliotheca Historica'', 4.72.7. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==References== *[Apollodorus](/source/Bibliotheca_(Pseudo-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. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website]. * Newman, Harold and Jon O. A Genealogical Chart of Greek Mythology. 2003. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press *M. Grant and J. Hazel, Who's Who in Greek Mythology, David McKay & Co Inc, 1979 * [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.] * [Strabo](/source/Strabo), ''The Geography of Strabo.'' Edition by H.L. Jones. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0198%3Abook%3D6%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] * Strabo, ''Geographica'' edited by A. Meineke. Leipzig: Teubner. 1877. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0197 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.] {{DEFAULTSORT:Cychreus (Mythology)}} Category:Kings in Greek mythology Category:Children of Poseidon Category:Demigods in classical mythology Category:Mythological Salaminians --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cychreus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cychreus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cychreus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.