Who were the parents of Labdacus?
Polydorus was his father and Nycteïs his mother. Nycteïs carried the name of her own father, King Nycteus of Orchomenus.
Questions about Labdacus
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Labdacus die in battle against Athens?
Labdacus fell in battle against the Athenian forces led by King Pandion of Athens. His death cut short a reign that had lasted only moments.
How did Apollodorus describe the death of Labdacus?
Apollodorus records that women tore him apart while caught in a Dionysian frenzy. They acted out of rage because he had shown disrespect to the god Dionysus.
What happened after Labdacus died young?
Lycus returned to rule once more and protected Labdacus's son Laius instead of the dead king. Laius inherited the name and the curse of his father as the first of the Labdacids.
Which ancient writers recorded conflicting accounts of Labdacus?
Scholars examine accounts from Apollodorus and Pausanias to reconstruct the varying versions of Labdacus's life and death. Apollodorus describes the bacchic punishment in his Library text while Pausanias writes about the regency and succession in Description of Greece.