Caburus
Active Member
According to Herodotus, Gyges, the usurping king of Lydia, was the son Dascylus, of the house of Mermnadae. He deposed Candaules, the legitimate King, who was a descendant of Heracles, and whose family had reigned in Lydia for 22 generations. After Gyges had killed him,the Lydians threatened a revolt. But the supporters of Gyges approached the Delphic oracle, who sanctioned his royal power, but warned that in the fifth generation the Heraclids would have their revenge.
The fifth generation was Croesus, King of Lydia, who was defeated and deposed by Cyrus, King of Persia. Herodotus has Cyrus as a descendant of Achaemenes, a member of the Paargadae family of Persia, descendants of Perseus's son Persis.
Does the Delphic oracle imply that Cyrus was classed as a Heraclid? Heracles was a descendant of Perseus, so it the title being projected back to cover all of Heracles' relatives?
And where did the family of Mermnadae come from? Does Mermnad appear in any Greek myths?
The fifth generation was Croesus, King of Lydia, who was defeated and deposed by Cyrus, King of Persia. Herodotus has Cyrus as a descendant of Achaemenes, a member of the Paargadae family of Persia, descendants of Perseus's son Persis.
Does the Delphic oracle imply that Cyrus was classed as a Heraclid? Heracles was a descendant of Perseus, so it the title being projected back to cover all of Heracles' relatives?
And where did the family of Mermnadae come from? Does Mermnad appear in any Greek myths?