Editing Inachus (section)

=== Tales about Io ===

==== Aeschylus ====
In an episode in ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'', a horned [[Io (mythology)|Io]] recalls her history to Prometheus of being disturbed by visions during her sleep night after night, where Zeus lusted for her maidenhood, but of initially rejecting the god's advances. When Io gained the courage to tell Inachus about these haunting dreams, his father sent many messengers to consult the oracle of [[Pythia|Pytho]] and [[Dodona]] so that he might discover what deed or word of his would find favor with the gods. But the messengers returned with report of oracles, riddling, obscure, and darkly-worded. Then at last there came an unmistakable utterance to Inachus, charging and commanding him clearly that he must thrust forth Io from his house and native land to roam at large to the remotest confines of the earth, because if Inachus would not follow the oracle's instructions, Zeus would hurl a fiery thunderbolt that would utterly destroy his whole race. The king yielding in obedience to such prophetic utterances of [[Apollo|Loxias]] (Apollo), Inachus drove his daughter away and barred her from his house, against his and Io's will.<ref>Aeschylus, ''[[Prometheus Bound]]'' [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=15#655 655 ff.] compare with Bacchylides, ''Dithyrambs'' [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=17#5.01 5.01]</ref>

==== Ovid ====
According to [[Ovid]], Inachus was the only one absent when his fellow [[River gods (Greek mythology)|river god]]s, [[Spercheios|Sperchios]], [[Enipeus (deity)|Enipeus]], [[Amphryssos|Amphrysos]], Apidanus and Aeas, visited [[Peneus]], father of [[Daphne]], following the pursuit of his daughter by the god [[Apollo]] and her transformation into a laurel tree (they are not sure whether to congratulate or to condole Peneus).<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' tr. David Raeburn, Penguin Classics, 2004, p. 34</ref> It was explained that Inachus hid in his cave, deepening his waters with his tears, bewailing also for his daughter Io who was lost. Inachus and his [[naiad]] daughters did not recognize Io, whom Zeus had transformed into a cow so that she could avoid detection by his jealous wife, [[Hera]].<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=141#4.706 1.567]</ref>
<blockquote>And Inachus and all her [i.e. Io] sister Naiads knew her not, although she followed them, they knew her not, although she suffered them to touch her sides and praise her. When the ancient Inachus gathered sweet herbs and offered them to her, she licked his hands, kissing her father's palms, nor could she more restrain her falling tears. If only words as well as tears would flow, she might implore his aid and tell her name and all her sad misfortune; but, instead, she traced in dust the letters of her name with cloven hoof; and thus her sad estate was known.</blockquote> At this, Inachus understood Io's condition, and, lamenting, wished for death, but acknowledged his godly status made this an impossibility. Io subsequently recovered her original form and came to be worshipped as a goddess.<ref>Ovid, ''Metamorphoses'' tr. David Raeburn, Penguin Classics, 2004, pp. 37-38, 42</ref>

==== Diodorus Siculus ====
In the account of [[Diodorus Siculus]], after Io's disappearance, Inachus sent forth [[Corsica|Cyrnus]], one of his men in high command, fitting him out with a considerable fleet, and ordered him to hunt for Io in every region and not to return unless he had got possession of her. And Cyrnus, after having wandered over many parts of the inhabited world without being able to find her, put ashore in Caria on the Cherronesus where he founded a city which bore his name Cyrnus.<ref>Diodorus Siculus, [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=133#5.60.3 5.60.3-5]</ref>

==== Parthenius ====
In a rare variant of the myth according to [[Parthenius of Nicaea|Parthenius]], Inachus sent several men to search and attempt to find her daughter Io who had been captured by brigands (not Zeus this time). One of these was [[Lyrcus]], the son of Phoroneus, who covered a vast deal of land and sea without finding the girl, and finally renounced the toilsome quest. But he was too much afraid of Inachus to return to Argos and went instead to [[Kaunos|Caunus]], where he married Hilebia, daughter of King Aegialus.<ref>[[Parthenius of Nicaea|Parthenius]], [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=550#1 1] with sources— ''Lyrcus'' of [[Nicaenetus of Samos|Nicaenetus]] and the ''Caunus'' of [[Apollonius of Rhodes|Apollonius Rhodius]]</ref>

==== Plutarch ====
According to Plutarch, the river Inachus had before borne the name of Carmanor or [[Haliacmon (mythology)|Haliacmon]]. Afterwards it was called after Inachus, the son of Oceanus. After Zeus ([[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]]) had deflowered his daughter Io, Inachus pursued the deity close at the heels, abusing and cursing him all the way as he went. Which so offended Zeus, that he sent [[Tisiphone]], one of the [[Erinyes|Furies]], who haunted and plagued him to that degree, that he flung himself into the river Haliacmon, bearing his own name afterwards.<ref name=":2">Pseudo-[[Plutarch]], ''De fluviis'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0400:chapter=18&highlight=inachus 18]</ref>

==== ''Suda'' ====

Inachos, a king of Argos, founded a city which he named for the moon, Io, for that is what Argives call the moon. He also had a daughter Io; Pekos who is also Zeus abducted her and fathered a daughter, Libya, by her. And Io, lamenting her ruin, fled to the [[Silpium|Silpion Mountain]] and there died. Her father and her brothers, when they learned this, built a shrine to her and called the place Iopolis and remained there until the end. And they performed a ritual in her memory, banging on each other's doors every year and saying 'io, io!'.<ref>[[Suda]], s.v. [http://topostext.org/work.php?work_id=240 ''Io'']</ref>

==== Sophocles ====
[[Sophocles]] wrote an ''Inachos'', probably a  [[satyr play]], which survives only in some [[papyrus]] fragments found at [[Oxyrhyncus]] and [[Tebtunis]], [[Egypt]];<ref>[[James Adam (classicist)|James Adam]]. ''[[Republic (Plato)|The Republic of Plato]] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0094:book=2:section=381D&highlight=inachus Book 2.381D]''</ref> in it Inachos is reduced from magnificence to misery through the unrequited love of Zeus<ref>Perhaps Chthonic Zeus, Zeus-Plouton, Richard Seaford suggests (Richard Seaford, "Black Zeus in Sophocles' ''Inachos''" ''The Classical Quarterly'' New Series, '''30'''.1 (1980), pp. 23-29.</ref> for his daughter [[Io (mythology)|Io]]. [[Hermes]] wears the cap of darkness, rendering him invisible, but plays the ''[[aulos]]'', to the mystification of the [[satyr]]s; [[Argus (king of Argos)|Argos]] and [[Iris (mythology)|Iris]], as a messenger of [[Hera]] both appear, a "stranger" turns Io into a heifer at the touch of a hand, and at the end, apparently, the satyrs are freed from their bondage, to become shepherds of Inachos.<ref>''Die Netzfischer des Aischylos und der Inachos des Sophokles'' (Munich: Beck) 1938.</ref> An additional papyrus fragment of Sophocles' ''Inachos'' was published in 1960.<ref>Rudolph Pfeiffer, ''Ein neues Inachos-Fragment des Sophokles'' (Munich:Beck) 1958; R.J. Carden, ''The Papyrus Fragments of Sophocles'' (de Gruyter) 1974.</ref>