Phoenix (son of Agenor)


In Greek mythology, Phoenix or Phoinix is the eponym of Phoenicia who together with his brothers were tasked to find their abducted sister Europa.

Family

Phoenix was a son of Agenor by either Telephassa, Argiope, or Damno and brother of Cadmus, Cilix, and Europa. He was believed to have fathered a number of children with different women. By Cassiopeia, Phoenix had a daughter Carme and three sons: Cilix, Phineus, and Doryclus, as well as a stepson Atymnius, whose natural father was Zeus; by Alphesiboea, he had Adonis. He was also credited as the father of Cepheus, king of Ethiopia and husband of another Cassiopeia.
According to the Iliad, Europa was not Phoenix's sister, but his daughter, while Cadmus was identified as his son. Europa is otherwise called one of his two daughters by Perimede, daughter of Oeneus, the other one being Astypalaea; she is also included on the list of his children by Telephe, her siblings in this case being Peirus, Phoenice, and Astypale. Telephe, daughter of Epimedusa, is probably the same as Telephassa, whom Moschus calls wife and not the mother of Phoenix.

Mythology

When Europa was carried off by Zeus, her three brothers were sent out by Agenor to find her, but the search was unsuccessful. Phoenix eventually settled in a country in Asia which he named Phoenicia after himself.

Argive family tree