Abdera
A Thracian coastal city founded in honour of Abderus, companion of Heracles.
The Story of Abdera
When Heracles was sent to fetch the man-eating mares of Diomedes, he entrusted the horses temporarily to his young companion Abderus. The mares turned on Abderus and devoured him. Grief-stricken, Heracles founded the city of Abdera on the Thracian coast as a memorial to the boy. The city later became famous as the birthplace of the philosopher Democritus and the sophist Protagoras, giving this mythological foundation a surprisingly intellectual legacy.
Parents
{Heracles}
Children
{Abderus}
Symbols
Fun Fact
Abdera was so associated with foolishness in antiquity that "Abderite" became a Greek insult meaning a simpleton.
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