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Greek Mythology Notes

Inachus

godἼναχος
river, Argos
Inachus

River god of the Inachus and legendary first king of Argos.‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍

The Myth of Inachus

Inachus was both the river god of Argos and its founding culture hero, credited with teaching the Argives to cultivate the land.‍​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍​‌​‌​‌​‌​‍​‌​‌​‍​‍​‌​‍​‍​‍ When Poseidon and Hera both claimed Argos as their own, Inachus judged in Hera's favour — earning Poseidon's wrath, who dried up his river in summer ever after. His daughter Io was loved by Zeus, who transformed her into a white cow to hide the affair from Hera. But Hera set Argus Panoptes, the hundred-eyed giant, to guard Io. Zeus sent Hermes to slay Argus and free her. Io wandered the world in torment, stung by Hera's gadfly, finally reaching Egypt where Zeus restored her human form and she bore Epaphus, ancestor of Perseus and Heracles.

Parents

Oceanus, Tethys

Children

Io, Phoroneus

Symbols

dry riverbedkingship

Fun Fact

The Inachus River in the Argolid genuinely runs dry most summers, which the ancients took as ongoing proof of Poseidon's curse.

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