HIPPOCOON (king of Sparta)
Figure of myth · king of Sparta, son of Oebalus
- Parents
- Oebalus, Batea
- Children
- Dorceus, Hippothous, Alcimus, Alcon, Bukolos, Euteiches, Enarephoros, Eumedes son of Hippocoon, Dorycleus, Tebros, Scaeus, Lycaethus and 4 more
- Foes
- Heracles
- In the sources
- 20 ancient passages
He claimed the Spartan throne for himself, believing his birth made him the eldest son, and expelled Tyndareus from his position.1,2 After the death of Icarius, Hippocoon gained more power than his remaining brother, driving Tyndareus to flee Sparta to escape him and his sons.2,3 Accounts differ on his final retreat, with Lacedaemonians claiming he went to Pellana while Messenian legend says he fled to Aphareus and settled at Thalamae.2
While living in Thalamae, he fathered children, among them Enarsphorus, who attempted to forcibly take Helen while she was still a child.2,4 Hippocoon and his sons mistreated a relative of Heracles and refused to purify the hero after Iphitus's death, actions that fueled extreme anger in Heracles.5,6,7 Heracles fought against them in a previous battle, sustaining a thigh wound during his initial encounter with Hippocoon's sons.8,7
The conflict ended when Heracles killed Hippocoon and his sons, an event commemorated by a nearby trophy.9,1 This death allowed Tyndareus to reclaim the Spartan kingdom he had lost.9 Hippocoon’s legacy includes the fatherhood of Eumedes and the hero Alcon, as well as Enæsimus.10,11,12 Before his fall, he dispatched troops to participate in the Calydonian Boar hunt, sending warriors from the ancient city of Amyclæ to the gathering.13
The codex facts behind this entry
In the myths
Heracles killed Hippocoon and his sons, an event commemorated by a nearby trophy. Apollodorus 3.10.5 +4 Hippocoon used his sons to drive Icarius and Tyndareus out of Lacedaemon. Apollodorus 3.10.5 +2 Heracles sustained a thigh wound during his initial battle against Hippocoon's sons. Pausanias 3.15.5 +2 Hippocoon's sons killed Oeonus with clubs after a dog attacked him. Pausanias 3.15.4 +1 Hippocoon expelled Tyndareus from his position and claimed the Spartan throne because he believed he was the eldest son. Pausanias 2.18.7 +1
