Amyntor
King of Eleon or Ormenion whose curse upon his son Phoenix led to one of the Iliad's most poignant speeches
The Legend of Amyntor
Amyntor was a king in Thessaly, ruling either Eleon or Ormenion depending on the source. He is best known for his bitter conflict with his son Phoenix. Amyntor took a concubine, and Phoenix's mother persuaded her son to seduce the woman to turn her against his father. When Amyntor discovered the betrayal, he called down the Erinyes to curse Phoenix with childlessness, a curse that was fulfilled. Phoenix was forced to flee his father's house and eventually found refuge with Peleus, king of Phthia, who made him ruler of the Dolopes. Phoenix later became the tutor and surrogate father to Peleus's son Achilles, accompanying the hero to Troy. In the embassy to Achilles in Iliad Book Nine, Phoenix recounts his story with Amyntor in one of the most emotionally complex speeches in the entire poem.
Parents
None recorded
Children
Phoenix
Symbols
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