Refers to many people in Greek Mythology
==
King==
In
history and
Greek mythology, 'Agenor' (which means "''very manly''") was a
Phoenician
king of
Tyre. His wife was
Telephassa.
Some sources state that Agenor was the son of
Poseidon and
Libya; these accounts refer to a brother named
Belus. According to other sources, he was the son of Belus and
Anchinoe.
Sources differ also as to Agenor's children; he is sometimes said to have been the father of
Cadmus,
Europa,
Cilix,
Phoenix, and
Thasus. Some sources state that Phoenix was Agenor's brother (and Belus' son); and it was Phoenix who was the father of these individuals.
In the ''
Iliad'' (14.321–22) Europa is clearly a daughter of Phoenix. Either Cadmus or Europa are confirmed as children of Phoenix by the ''Ehoeae'' attributed to
Hesiod and by
Bacchylides and by various scholiae. Cilix and Phineus are also sons of Phoenix according to
Pherecydes (3F86) who also adds an otherwise unknown son named Doryclus.
Most later sources list Cadmus and Cilix as sons of Agenor directly without mentioning Phoenix. On the rare occasions when he is mentioned, Phoenix is listed as the brother of Cadmus and Cilix.
Whether he is included as a brother of Agenor or as a son, his role in mythology is limited to inheriting his father's kingdom and to becoming the eponym of the
Phoenicians. All accounts agree on a Phoenician king who has several children, including the two sons named
Cadmus and
Cilix and a
daughter named
Europa.
Zeus saw Europa gathering flowers and immediately fell in love with her. Zeus transformed himself into a white bull and carried Europa away to the island of
Crete. He then revealed his true identity and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Europa's father, meanwhile, sent Europa's brothers, Cadmus and Cilix in search of her along with other brothers in some versions:
Phineus or
Thasus (and of course Phoenix in the versions where the Cadmus' father is Agenor).
Cadmus consulted the
oracle of
Delphi and was advised to travel until encountering a
cow. He was to follow this cow and to found a city where the cow would lie down; this city became
Thebes.
Cilix searched for her and settled down in
Asia Minor. The land was called
Cilicia after him.
It is thought that the name ''Agenor'' may represent an unknown name by which the Phoenicians called themselves, perhaps related to ''
Canaan''.
==Father of
Porthaon==
Another 'Agenor' appears as the father of
Porthaon, king of
Calydon. He was the son of Pleuron son of
Aetolus son of
Endymion. He was married to
Epicasta, the daughter of his uncle
Calydon; their other children were
Demonice and
Thestius.
==
Soldier==
In the ''
Iliad'' Agenor was a
Trojan soldier and son of
Antenor. He was the Trojan with the first kill on the Trojan side in the ''Iliad'', when he killed
Elphenor, one of the
Euboean leaders. Later on, during the Trojan assault on the
Achaean ships, he helped to heal a battle wound inflicted upon
Helenus.
In book XXI of the ''Iliad'', when
Achilles was routing the entire Trojan army, Agenor was the first Trojan to collect his wits and stop fleeing from Achilles' rampage. Agenor felt ashamed that he was fleeing from a man who was supposedly just as mortal as anyone so he turned to face Achilles. As the Greek hero approached Agenor the latter threw his spear at him, but only hit Achilles'
greaves. After that Achilles sprang at Agenor, but at that moment
Apollo carried the Trojan away in a veil of mist to keep Achilles from pursuing him, while Apollo took the form of Agenor to lead Achilles away from the Trojans. This act allowed all the Trojans (except
Hector) to take cover behind the walls of Troy.
When the Achaeans were storming troy through the
Trojan Horse ruse, Agenor was killed by Achilles' son
Neoptolemus
References
★
Virgil I, 338
See also
★
USS ''Agenor'' (ARL-3)