Aeolid king who, dwelling first in Thessaly and afterwards in Elis, claimed to be Zeus himself and aped the god's thunder with a bronze chariot and torches — until a real thunderbolt struck him down.1
He is one of the seven sons whom Aeolus, son of Hellen, begat on Enarete, brother of Cretheus and Sisyphus. Apollodorus says he dwelt at first in Thessaly and afterwards came to Elis, where he founded a city — and there his arrogance undid him.2
Wishing to set himself on a level with Zeus, Salmoneus took away the sacrifices of the god and ordered them offered to himself; he dragged dried hides and bronze kettles behind his chariot to counterfeit thunder and flung lighted torches at the sky and the people for lightning. For the impiety Zeus blasted him with a true thunderbolt — chariot and all, Hyginus adds, who has him riding in a four-horse car and hurling torches to terrify his subjects.3
By Alcidice he had a daughter, Tyro — and to Homer that is all his fame: among the noble women in the house of Hades the first Odysseus questions is high-born Tyro, who declared herself the daughter of noble Salmoneus and the wife of Cretheus. Through her the impious king is grandfather of Pelias and Neleus.4
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the spine ignites as you read · hover a bond on the card — every mention of them lights in the story