The Story of Cadmus
Cadmus was a Phoenician prince, the son of King Agenor. When Zeus, disguised as a bull, carried off his sister Europa, Agenor sent his sons to find her and told them not to return without her. Cadmus searched far and wide but could not find her.
Cadmus went to the oracle at Delphi, which told him to give up the search. Instead he was to follow a cow and found a city wherever it lay down to rest. The cow led him across Boeotia, and where it sank down, Cadmus founded the citadel of the Cadmea, which grew into the city of Thebes.
Cadmus sent his companions to fetch water from a nearby spring for a sacrifice, but the spring was guarded by a dragon sacred to Ares. The serpent killed every one of them. Cadmus went after it himself and killed it.
On Athena's advice, he sowed the dragon's teeth in the ground, and armed warriors sprang up from the earth. Cadmus threw a stone among them, and they began to fight each other until only five were left. These five became the Spartoi, the sown men, ancestors of the noble families of Thebes, but to make up for killing the dragon, Cadmus had to serve Ares for eight years.
After his service, the gods gave Cadmus Harmonia, a daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, as his wife. Their wedding was one of the few times the gods attended a mortal marriage, and the Muses sang at the feast. Among the gifts was a beautiful necklace, which later brought misfortune to everyone who owned it.
The Greeks credited Cadmus with bringing them the alphabet, which they called Phoenician letters. He and Harmonia had a son, Polydorus, and four daughters, Semele, Ino, Agave and Autonoe. Their family suffered terribly, as Semele died when she saw Zeus in his true form, Ino leapt into the sea, Autonoe's son Actaeon was torn apart by his own hounds, and Agave killed her son Pentheus in a Dionysian frenzy.
In their old age, Cadmus and Harmonia left Thebes and traveled to Illyria, where Cadmus led the people in war and ruled for a time. At the end of their lives, they were turned into serpents. The gods then carried them away to live forever in the Elysian Fields.
Famous Myths About Cadmus
Following the Cow
Cadmus was sent to find his sister Europa, who had been carried off by Zeus in the form of a bull. The oracle at Delphi told him to give up the search, follow a cow, and found a city where it lay down, and that city became Thebes.
The Dragon's Teeth
Cadmus killed a dragon sacred to Ares that guarded a nearby spring. On Athena's advice he sowed its teeth in the ground, and armed men sprang up and fought each other, with the five survivors becoming the ancestors of the noble families of Thebes.
The Wedding of Cadmus and Harmonia
Cadmus married Harmonia, daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, and the gods themselves came to the wedding. Among the gifts was a beautiful necklace that later brought misfortune to everyone who owned it.
Turned into Serpents
After many sorrows befell their family, the aged Cadmus and Harmonia left Thebes. In the end they were changed into serpents, and in some versions they were carried off to live in the Elysian Fields.
Cadmus's Family Tree
Parents of Cadmus
Wife of Cadmus
Children of Cadmus
Frequently Asked Questions About Cadmus
Who was Cadmus in Greek mythology?
Cadmus was a Phoenician prince, the brother of Europa, who founded the city of Thebes. The Greeks believed he brought the alphabet to Greece.
How did Cadmus found Thebes?
The oracle at Delphi told Cadmus to follow a cow and build a city where it lay down. There he killed a dragon sacred to Ares and sowed its teeth, and armed men sprang from the ground, fought each other, and the five survivors helped him build Thebes.
Who was Cadmus's wife?
Cadmus married Harmonia, the daughter of Ares and Aphrodite, and the gods themselves attended the wedding.
What happened to Cadmus at the end of his life?
In old age, Cadmus and Harmonia were turned into serpents and taken to live in the Elysian Fields.
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