In Greek mythology, Aphareus (Ancient Greek: Ἀφαρεύς) was a king of Messenia, the son of Perieres and Gorgophone and the brother of Leucippus. He married Arene, daughter of Oebalus and Gorgophone — and thus his own half-sister — and by her was father of Idas and Lynceus, the heroes collectively known as the Apharetidae. On inheriting his father's kingdom he held the greater authority, founded the Messenian city of Arene named after his wife, and gave refuge to a series of exiles, including Tyndareus, Neleus, and Lycus.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Aphareus (son of Perieres)" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Aphareus was the son of Gorgophone and Perieres, and the brother of Leucippus. He was the husband and half-brother of Arene (also given as Arena or Arenae), the daughter of Oebalus and Gorgophone, with whom he fathered Lynceus, Idas, and Peisus.
Some sources, however, named Poseidon as the father of Idas instead of Aphareus, while others held that Peisus (Pisus) was actually a son of Perieres rather than of Aphareus. Alternative accounts also name his wife as Polydora or as Laocoosa.
The term Apharetidae is derived from Aphareus's name and refers to his sons Idas and Lynceus collectively.
II.Mythology
According to legend, Aphareus together with his brother Leucippus inherited their father's kingdom upon his death, but Aphareus kept the greater authority of the two. He founded the city of Arene in Messenia, naming it after his wife.
When Hippocoon usurped the throne of Sparta, Tyndareus sought refuge with his step-brother Aphareus in Messenia, settling at Thalamae, where he had children.
III.Hospitality and succession
Aphareus granted asylum to his cousin Neleus, who had been driven out of Iolcus by Pelias, assigning to him territory in the coastal part of Messenia that included Pylos. He likewise welcomed the exiled Lycus, son of Pandion, who in return revealed the rites of Demeter to Aphareus and his family.
After Idas and Lynceus perished fighting the Dioscuri, the male line of Aphareus came to an end. Nestor, the son of Neleus, then inherited the Messenian kingdom, with the exception of the territories that were held by the sons of Asclepius.