Phineus
A blind Thracian king and prophet punished by Zeus for revealing divine secrets, tormented by Harpies until rescued by the Argonauts.
The Legend of Phineus
Phineus was a king of Salmydessus in Thrace, gifted with prophecy by Apollo but blinded by Zeus — either for revealing the gods' plans to mortals, for choosing long life over sight, or for blinding his own sons at his second wife's instigation. Zeus also sent the Harpies, winged female creatures, to steal or befoul his food. When Jason and the Argonauts arrived, they found Phineus starving and wretched. The Boreads Zetes and Calais, winged sons of the North Wind Boreas, chased the Harpies away permanently. In gratitude, Phineus revealed the route to Colchis and the secret of passing the Symplegades — the Clashing Rocks that crushed ships between them. He told Jason to release a dove first: if it passed through, the Argo could follow. The dove lost only its tail feathers, and the Argo scraped through, after which the rocks became fixed forever.
Parents
Agenor (in some genealogies)
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Symplegades — clashing rocks that Phineus taught Jason to navigate — are identified with real rock formations at the mouth of the Bosphorus. Ancient mariners genuinely found the currents at the Black Sea entrance treacherous, and the myth may encode practical sailing knowledge: send something small through first to test the current before committing your ship. It's an ancient version of "test in staging before deploying to production."
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Phineus
🗡 heroNone recorded
Blind Thracian king tormented by Harpies until rescued by the Argonauts
Phineus the Seer
🗡 heroprophecy
Blind Thracian king and prophet cursed by Zeus to have his food snatched by Harpies until the Argonauts freed him.
Oedipus
🗡 heroKing who fulfilled the prophecy of killing his father and marrying his mother
The tragic king of Thebes who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother, fulfilling a prophecy he had spent his life trying to avoid.
Teiresias
🗡 heroBlind prophet of Thebes
Tiresias was the blind seer of Thebes who experienced life as both man and woman, was blinded by the gods, and compensated with the gift of prophecy.
Menoeceus
🗡 herosacrifice, prophecy
A young Theban nobleman who sacrificed himself by leaping from the city walls to fulfil Tiresias's prophecy that only royal blood could save Thebes from the Seven.
Tiresias
🗡 heroBlind prophet of Thebes
The most famous seer in Greek mythology, blinded by the gods but given the gift of prophecy in compensation. Tiresias advised kings and heroes across multiple generations.
Halitherses
🗡 heroNone recorded
Elderly Ithacan prophet who interpreted bird omens and supported Telemachus
Perseus
🗡 heroHero who slew Medusa
The son of Zeus and Danae who beheaded Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the Perseid dynasty of Mycenae.
Amphiaraus
🗡 heroThe prophet who foresaw his own death at Thebes
A warrior-prophet who knew the Seven Against Thebes would fail but marched to his death anyway, swallowed by the earth.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Amphiaraus
🗡 heroSeer-warrior swallowed by earth
Amphiaraus was a warrior-prophet who foresaw his death in the Seven Against Thebes but marched anyway, bound by his wife's betrayal.
Bellerophon
🗡 heroThe hero who tamed Pegasus
The Corinthian hero who tamed the winged horse Pegasus and slew the Chimera, but fell from heaven when he tried to reach Olympus.