CREON

:''For the World War II U.S. Navy landing craft repair ship, see USS ''Creon'' (ARL-11).''
'Creon' (Attic Greek: 'Κρέων' - ''Kreōn'', meaning "ruler") is the name of two mythological Greek kings, a mythological son of Heracles, and a historical Archon of Athens.

Contents

Mythological

Son of Menoeceus

Father of Creusa

Son of Heracles

Historical

Mythological

Son of Menoeceus

Creon, son of Menoeceus, was the king of the city of Thebes and the father of Haemon and Megara by his wife, Eurydice. Creon and his sister, Jocasta, were descendants of Cadmus and of the Spartoi.
Jocasta's husband, Laius, who was the king of Thebes, gave the rule to Creon while he went to consult the oracle at Delphi. During Laius's absence, the Sphinx came to Thebes. When word came of Laius's death, Creon offered a part of the rule of Thebes, as well as his sister's hand, to anyone who could free the city from the Sphinx. Oedipus answered the Sphinx's riddle and married Jocasta, unaware that she was his mother. The truth was eventually discovered, causing Jocasta to hang herself in shame, and Oedipus to gouge out his eyes and exile himself, leaving the rule of Thebes to Creon.
Oedipus's sons, Eteocles and Polynices, shared the rule jointly until they quarreled, and Eteocles expelled his brother. Polynices gathered an army and attacked the city of Thebes in a conflict called the Seven Against Thebes. Although both sons of Oedipus were killed, the Thebans won the war, leaving Creon as king once more, serving as regent for Laodamas, the son of Eteocles.
Creon gave Eteocles a full and honorable burial, but ordered (under penalty of death) that Polynices's corpse be left to rot on the battlefield as punishment for his treason. However, Antigone, the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, who was betrothed to Creon's son, Haemon, defied him by "burying" her brother, and was entombed alive as punishment. Creon finally relented after advice from the soothsayer Tiresias, but found that Antigone had already hanged herself (as her mother Jocasta had) and Haemon, coming across her body, had fallen on his sword in grief. Upon hearing the news, Creon's wife Eurydice also stabbed herself to death. Creon was forced to allow burial for the Argives by an army led by Theseus.
In Creon's old age, a descendant of an earlier king of Thebes named Lycus invaded Thebes and, after killing Creon, took the rule.
Creon is featured in many Greek tragedies, including ''Oedipus the King'', ''Oedipus at Colonus'', ''Antigone'', and ''Phoenician Women''.

Father of Creusa

'Creon' was a King of Corinth and father of Creusa or Glauce, Jason's second wife whom Medea murdered. Medea presented Glauce with a cursed dress, as a wedding gift, that stuck to her body and burned her to death as soon as she put it on. Creon burnt to death with his daughter as he tried to save her. Creon's wife sold Tisiphone into slavery.

Son of Heracles

'Creon' was the son of Heracles by an unnamed daughter of Thespius. He had a twin brother, Teleutagoras.

Historical

'Creon' was also the third Archon of Athens after the position was limited to a term of one year, in 683 BC.