Cadmus

Cadmus stands as one of ancient Greece's greatest pre-Herculean heroes, ranking alongside Perseus and Bellerophon as a legendary monster-slayer. According to Greek mythology, this Phoenician prince would become the founder of Thebes in Boeotia, with the city's acropolis, Cadmeia, bearing his name. Born to King Agenor and Queen Telephassa of Tyre, Cadmus claimed divine ancestry through Poseidon and Libya, and counted Phoenix, Cilix, and Europa among his siblings.

His legendary journey began when Zeus abducted his sister Europa from Phoenicia's shores. Dispatched by his parents to find her, Cadmus's quest would lead him not to his sister, but to his destiny as a city-founder. Beyond establishing Thebes, ancient sources credit him with founding several cities in Illyria, including Bouthoe and Lychnidus. The final chapters of his myth, alongside his wife Harmonia, are deeply woven into Illyrian tradition and culture.

Like many Greek myths, variations exist in Cadmus's origin story. Some versions claim Theban heritage, naming his mother as a daughter of Nilus, the divine personification of the Nile River. Other early accounts present Cadmus and Europa as children of Phoenix rather than his siblings.