In Greek mythology, Licymnius was an illegitimate son of Electryon, King of Tiryns and Mycenae in the Argolid, by Mideia, a Phrygian woman. This made him the half-brother of Alcmene, the mother of Heracles, and thus the hero's maternal uncle. He was the only one of Electryon's sons to survive the disastrous war against the Taphians and Teleboans, and he later followed Amphitryon into exile at Thebes. He is remembered above all for being killed accidentally in his old age by Heracles' son Tlepolemus.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Licymnius" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Licymnius was an illegitimate son of Electryon, King of Tiryns and Mycenae in the Argolid. His mother is given as Mideia, a Phrygian woman. Because Electryon was also the father of Alcmene, this made Licymnius the half-brother of Alcmene and therefore an uncle of her son Heracles.
Licymnius married Perimede, the daughter of Alcaeus and sister of Amphitryon. By her he became the father of three sons: Melas, Argius and Oeonus.
II.Mythology
Licymnius was the only one of Electryon's sons to return home after the unsuccessful war against the Taphians and Teleboans, in which the rest of the brothers perished. He thus remained as the surviving heir of Electryon's line.
When Amphitryon was expelled from the Argolid, Licymnius accompanied him and fled to Thebes. He appears in Homer's Iliad as a good friend of Heracles and an aged uncle of the hero.
III.Death
According to one story, found in the Iliad, Licymnius was accidentally killed in his old age by Heracles' son Tlepolemus. The death is said to have occurred when Tlepolemus was beating his servant with a stick and Licymnius ran in between him and the blow; in another version, Tlepolemus and Licymnius had quarreled over a certain matter.
Pausanias mentions that the tomb of Licymnius could be seen at Argos. The killing forced Tlepolemus into exile, and he afterwards settled at Rhodes.