Editing Pandareus

{{Short description|Petty thief in Greek mythology}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Pandareus''' ({{Langx|grc|Πανδάρεος|Pandáreos}}) is the son of [[Merops (mythology)|Merops]] and a [[nymph]]. His residence is usually given as either [[Ephesus]]<ref name=":0">[[Antoninus Liberalis]], [https://topostext.org/work/216#11 11] as cited in [[Boios|Boeus]]' ''Ornithogonia''</ref> or [[Miletus]].<ref name="Pausanias">[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+10.30.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=0:chapter=0&highlight=Pandareos 10.30.2]</ref> Pandareus married [[Harmothoë]] and had several daughters by her before perishing for stealing a sacred dog that belonged to [[Zeus]], king of the gods.

== Mythology ==
=== Pandareus' robbery ===
Pandareus was said to have been favored by the goddess [[Demeter]], who conferred upon him the benefit of never suffering from indigestion, however much food he should eat.<ref name=":0" /> At the request of his impious friend, [[Tantalus]], Pandareus stole a golden dog from a sacred place to [[Zeus]] on [[Crete]]; that dog had guarded Zeus during his infancy by the will of [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], Zeus' mother.<ref name="ant"/> On the other hand, Byzantine scholar [[Eustathius of Thessalonica]] writes that rather Pandareus and Tantalus attempted to steal a mechanic dog that had been crafted by [[Hephaestus]] himself, which was placed in a temple of Zeus in Crete. Zeus then sent his son [[Hermes]] to steal the dog back and then punished the two thieves.<ref>Eustathius ad Homer, ''[[Odyssey]]'' [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZP4NAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA216 19.710]</ref> Pandareus carried off the dog and gave it to Tantalus to hide, but when he later asked for the dog, Tantalus insisted he had never received it. Zeus punished Pandareus by turning him into stone as he stood.<ref name="ant">Antoninus Liberalis, [https://topostext.org/work/216#36 36]</ref> In other authors he fled to the island of [[Sicily]], where he perished together with his wife [[Harmothoë]].<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] ad [[Homer]], p. 1875</ref>

=== Anatolia ===
Pandareus was the father of [[Aëdon]] (wife of [[Amphion and Zethus|Zethus]]), [[Chelidon (mythology)|Chelidon]], [[Cleothera]] and [[Merope (Greek myth)|Merope]];<ref>Homer, ''Odyssey'' 19.518; Antoninus Liberalis, [https://topostext.org/work/216#11 11] as cited in [[Boios|Boeus]]' ''Ornithogonia''</ref> according to Pausanias, the last two were called [[Cameiro]] and [[Clytia]].<ref name="Pausanias" /> Harmothoe is confirmed to be the mother of Aëdon, Merope and Cleodora, but not Chelidon. After the death of their parents, [[Aphrodite]] took care of Cleodora and Merope, [[Hera]] taught them to be proper women, and [[Athena]] made them accomplished; but when Aphrodite went to see [[Zeus]] to get them married, storm winds carried them away to become handmaidens of the [[Erinyes|furies]].<ref>Homer, ''Odyssey'' 20.66 ff.</ref>

In another myth, Aëdon's husband [[Polytechnus]] came to him under the excuse that Aëdon wanted her sister Chelidon to visit her, when in fact he owed his wife a female slave. Pandareus, not suspecting a thing, let Polytechnus take Chelidon, but he proceeded to rape her and force her to serve as a slave for Aëdon. The two sisters soon escaped and ran back to Pandareus, who had Polytechnus tied, smeared with honey and left to the mercy of flies. Aëdon in pity kept the flies off of Polytechnus, angering Pandareus, his wife and his son. They were about to attack Aëdon, but Zeus interfered, and transformed them all into birds. Pandareus was changed into a [[sea eagle]], his wife into a kingfisher, his son into a hoopoe.<ref>Antoninus Liberalis, [https://topostext.org/work/216#11 11]</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Ancient Greece|Mythology}}

Other notable punishments in Greek mythology:

* [[Niobe]]
* [[Sisyphus]]
* [[Danaids]]
* [[Tityos]]

== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==
* [[Antoninus Liberalis]], ''The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis'' translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). [https://topostext.org/work/216 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Homer]], [[Odyssey|''The Odyssey'']] with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919. {{ISBN|978-0674995611|}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0136 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0135 Greek text available from the same website].
* Homer. ''The Odyssey,'' Book XIX, in ''The Iliad & The Odyssey''. Trans. Samuel Butler. pp.&nbsp;676–7. {{ISBN|978-1-4351-1043-4}}
* [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. {{ISBN|0-674-99328-4}}. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.  [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110805090548/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/2443.html William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, v. 3, page 109]}}

{{Metamorphoses in Greco-Roman mythology}}

[[Category:Mythological people from Anatolia]]
[[Category:Cretan mythology]]
[[Category:Deeds of Zeus]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into inanimate objects in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into birds in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Deeds of Hermes]]
[[Category:Deeds of Demeter]]