Galaxy/The codex of Crotopus

In Greek mythology, Crotopus or Krotopos (Ancient Greek Κρότωπος) is an early king of Argos, son of Agenor and father of Psamathe and Sthenelas. After he condemns Psamathe for bearing Apollo's child Linus, plague strikes Argos; variants end with his exile to found Tripodiscium or with Coroebus' penance.

Adapted from Wikipedia, "Crotopus" · CC BY-SA 4.0

I.Psamathe, Linus, and the plague

Pausanias sets Crotopus after Iasus in the native Argive succession: son of Agenor, father of Sthenelas. Conon's Narrative makes him a terrifying father; Psamathe exposes Apollo's son, who grows as the shepherd-boy Linus until the king's dogs tear him apart. Crotopus then puts Psamathe to death as a harlot; Apollo answers with plague. An oracle institutes the Arneian Lamb festival and dirges for Linus; when the plague persists, Crotopus must exile himself and found Tripodiscium in the Megarid.

Pausanias and Statius shift the penance onto the hero Coroebus, who slays Apollo's baby-snatching Poena and builds the tripod city — Crotopus remaining the king whose house provoked the god.

II.Homonym care

The atlas id crotopus-argive is this Argive king alone. His daughter Psamathe is the Crotopid mother of Linus (psamathe-crotopid), not the Nereid Psamathe.

AT A GLANCE

Greek nameKrotopos (Κροτόπος)
Typemortal
DomainsArgive kingship · father of Sthenelas
ParentageAgenor
SymbolsDeath of Linus · Plague of Argos · Tripodiscium
Cult centersArgos · Tripodiscium (Megarid)
EtymologyGreek Κρότωπος; Eusebius places his reign against Phaethon's fire and Deucalion's flood in synchronistic chronography.
READ MOREWikipedia