In Greek mythology, Lycurgus (Lykourgos) of Nemea was father of the infant Opheltes (Archemorus), whose death by a serpent during the Seven against Thebes' march founded the Nemean Games. Earliest Euripides makes him priest of Nemean Zeus from Asopia; later authors make him king. Apollodorus calls him son of Pheres who migrated from Thessaly and married Eurydice (or Amphithea). Distinct from Thracian Lycurgus, from Lycurgus son of Pronax, and from the Spartan lawgiver.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Lycurgus (of Nemea)" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Priest, king, and Opheltes
In Euripides' Hypsipyle, Lycurgus keeps the wealthy halls of the temple-keeper of local Zeus; Hypsipyle nurses his and Eurydice's son Opheltes. Hyginus (whose Latin text often reads "Lycus," probably a slip for Lycurgus) and Statius make him king of Nemea as well as priest. When the Seven need water, Hypsipyle lays the infant on the ground; a sacred serpent kills him. Funeral games become the Nemean Games; Pausanias saw Lycurgus' tomb in the grove.
Statius gives Lycurgus a large role: oracular warning that he will "give first death to the Theban war," rage against Hypsipyle after the child's death, and reconciliation when Amphiaraus declares Opheltes a god.
II.Genealogy and homonyms
Apollodorus: Lycurgus son of Pheres (brother of Admetus), settles at Nemea, weds Eurydice or Amphithea, fathers Opheltes. A Lycurgus son of Pronax appears on the Amyclae throne relief fighting Amphiaraus — usually treated as a different figure (atlas id lycurgus-pronax).
Not the Thracian enemy of Dionysus (lycurgus-thrace), nor historical Spartan Lycurgus.