In Greek mythology, Phoroneus (Ancient Greek: Φορωνεύς) was the culture-hero and primordial king of the Argolid: son of the river Inachus, fire-bringer and lawgiver of Argos, who gathered scattered families into the first community. Argive tradition credited him — not Prometheus — with bringing fire and the forge to mankind, and with introducing the worship of Hera.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Phoroneus" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Phoroneus was son of Inachus by either the Oceanid Melia or Argia, the land-spirit of the Argolid. Wives named in different sources include Cerdo, Teledice, Perimede, Peitho, and Cinna. Children variously include Apis, Niobe (the Argive Niobe, not the Theban daughter of Tantalus), Car, Europs, and — in Hellanicus — Agenor, Iasus, and Pelasgus, who divided his dominions after his death.
II.Reign and cult
Pausanias reports that when Poseidon and Hera contended for the Argolid and the primeval waters receded, Phoroneus was the first to gather people into a community; until then they had lived as scattered families. Hyginus places him among the primordial men of Greece and credits him with fire, the forge, and Hera's worship after Zeus' pleasure in ruling mortals was spoiled by the confusion of tongues.
His successor in many accounts is Argus, son of Niobe by Zeus (or by Phoroneus himself). In the second century CE Pausanias was still shown an eternal fire at Phoroneus' tomb-sanctuary in Argos, where funeral sacrifices were offered; later tradition also calls him founder of law.