EURYSTHEUS (king of Mycenae)

Hera hastened Eurystheus' birth by a month while delaying the birth of Heracles' child to ensure he was born first, securing his destined kingship.^10,1 Eurystheus sent the herald Copreus to deliver these commands, forcing Heracles to visit a large part of the inhabited world while carrying out his duties.^11,12,13,14

Despite his fear, which led him to hide in a bronze jar underground, Eurystheus maintained a superior might that caused other cities to expel the children of Heracles.^11,15 He pursued the Heracleidae and their mother Alcmene, viewing their existence as a danger to his rule and vowing to be a bitter foe to their descendants.^16,17,18,19 Eurystheus marched toward Athens to kill the children, claiming ownership of them and intending to punish Demophon for sheltering the refugees.^18,19,17,20 He led a host of Argive troops to protect the reputation of Argos and Mycenae, arriving with his army to demand the handover of the displaced family.^20,21,22,23

The conflict escalated when Eurystheus ordered Ceÿx to banish the Heracleidae, threatening war if the command was refused.²⁴ A pitched battle ensued in which Eurystheus was defeated, and the Athenians fought a war against him during which his sons Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor, and Perimedes were killed.^24,25,26 Eurystheus fled in a chariot but was pursued by Hyllus, whose chariot was wrecked near the Scironian cliffs.^26,24 He was killed by Hyllus during the conflict, an event that some accounts say occurred before the Heraclids fully attacked the Peloponnese.^{24,25,26,27,28}

After his death, Atreus took over the kingship of Mycenae.²⁵ Eurystheus had requested to be buried in a specific grave at Pallene before his shrine, a final act of a man described as unhappy and wicked.^16,9 His legacy remained that of a cruel taskmaster who laid heavy burdens upon Zeus's son, driven by the malicious will of the goddess Hera.^29,8,30