Hyllus

• 1. Lineage And Origins

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  Hyllus appears in ancient Greek texts as the son of Heracles and Deianira. This parentage establishes his place within a family destined for conflict with Eurystheus, king of Mycenae. Zeus had originally intended for Heracles to rule Argos, Lacedaemon, and Messenian Pylos. Hera's cunning actions prevented this outcome, causing these territories to fall into Eurystheus' hands instead. After Heracles died, Hyllus and his brothers wandered until they found refuge at Athens. Eurystheus demanded their surrender when they refused, leading to an attack on Athens that ended with Eurystheus defeated and slain.

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• 2. The Return Of The Heracleidae

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  Hyllus and his brothers invaded Peloponnesus but were forced to quit after one year due to pestilence. They withdrew to Thessaly where Aegimius, the mythical ancestor of the Dorians, adopted Hyllus. Heracles had previously assisted Aegimius in war against the Lapidae. Aegimius gave Hyllus a third part of his territory. When Aegimius died, his sons Pamphylus and Dymas voluntarily submitted to Hyllus. According to Herodotus V. 72, Hyllus was actually an Achaean who became ruler of the Dorians. The three branches of the Dorian race took names from these three heroes: Hyllus, Pamphylus, and Dymas.

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• 3. Oracle Interpretations And Irony

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  Hyllus consulted the Delphic oracle regarding his desire to reconquer his paternal inheritance. The oracle instructed him to wait for 'the third fruit' before entering Peloponnesus by 'a narrow passage by sea.' After three years, Hyllus marched across the isthmus of Corinth to attack Atreus, successor of Eurystheus. He was slain in single combat by Echemus, king of Tegea. This second attempt failed just as the first had. His son Cleodaeus led a third attempt that also proved unsuccessful. A fourth attempt under grandson Aristomachus met similar failure. Temenus, Cresphontes, and Aristodemus later complained to the oracle about its fatal instructions.

• 4. Genealogy And Descendants

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  After Heracles died, he charged Hyllus to marry Iole when he came of age. Apollodorus records this instruction in section 2.7.7. Hyllus and Iole produced one son named Cleodaeus. They also had three daughters: Evaechme, Aristaechme, and Hyllis. These children continued the family line after Hyllus's death. Cleodaeus eventually led the third attempt to reclaim Peloponnesus following his father's demise. The daughters remained part of the genealogical record without specific historical actions attributed to them in surviving texts. Their names appear consistently across ancient sources documenting the Heracleidae lineage.

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• 5. Literary Evolution And Sources

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  No mention exists of these Heracleidae or their invasion in Homer or Hesiod. Herodotus vi. 52 speaks of poets who celebrated deeds immediately succeeding Heracles' death. The story first received amplification from Greek tragedians who drew inspiration from local legends. Athens provided services to rulers of Peloponnesus that these legends glorified. Smith's Dictionary notes variations between different ancient accounts regarding the events. Apollodorus provides detailed narrative structure for the family tree and succession struggles. Modern scholars rely on fragments from Catalogue of Women and Library texts to reconstruct the full mythological picture.

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