Eurypon, a king of Sparta, son of Sous. His reign was so glorious that his descendants were called Eurypontidæ. Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 7.
Eurypy̆le, a daughter of Thespius.
Eury̆py̆lus, a son of Telephus and Astyoche, was killed in the Trojan war by Pyrrhus. He made his court to Cassandra. Homer, Iliad, bk. 11.——A Grecian at the Trojan war. Homer, Iliad, bk. 2.——A prince of Olenus, who went with Hercules against Laomedon. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 19.——A son of Mecisteus, who signalized himself in the war of the Epigoni against Thebes. Apollodorus, bk. 3.——A son of Temenus king of Messenia, who conspired against his father’s life. Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 6.——A son of Neptune, killed by Hercules. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 7.——One of Penelope’s suitors. Apollodorus, bk. 3, ch. 10.——A Thessalian who became delirious for looking into a box, which fell to his share after the plunder of Troy. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 19.——A soothsayer in the Grecian camp before Troy, sent to consult the oracle of Apollo, how his countrymen could return safe home. The result of his inquiries was the injunction to offer a human sacrifice. Virgil, Æneid, bk. 2, li. 114.—Ovid.
Eurysthĕnes, a son of Aristodemus, who lived in perpetual dissension with his twin brother Procles, while they both sat on the Spartan throne. It was unknown which of the two was born first; the mother, who wished to see both her sons raised on the throne, refused to declare it, and they were both appointed kings of Sparta, by order of the oracle of Delphi, B.C. 1102. After the death of the two brothers, the Lacedæmonians, who knew not to what family the right of seniority and succession belonged, permitted two kings to sit on the throne, one of each family. The descendants of Eurysthenes were called Eurysthenidæ; and those of Procles, Proclidæ. It was inconsistent with the laws of Sparta for two kings of the same family to ascend the throne together, yet that law was sometimes violated by oppression and tyranny. Eurysthenes had a son called Agis, who succeeded him. His descendants were called Agidæ. There sat on the throne of Sparta 31 kings of the family of Eurysthenes, and only 24 of the Proclidæ. The former were the more illustrious. Herodotus, bk. 4, ch. 147; bk. 6, ch. 52.—Pausanias, bk. 3, ch. 1.—Cornelius Nepos, Agesilaus.
Eurysthenĭdæ. See: [Eurysthenes].
Eurystheus, a king of Argos and Mycenæ, son of Sthenelus and Nicippe the daughter of Pelops. Juno hastened his birth by two months, that he might come into the world before Hercules the son of Alcmena, as the younger of the two was doomed by order of Jupiter to be subservient to the will of the other. See: [Alcmena]. This natural right was cruelly exercised by Eurystheus, who was jealous of the fame of Hercules, and who, to destroy so powerful a relation, imposed upon him the most dangerous and uncommon enterprises, well known by the name of the 12 labours of Hercules. The success of Hercules in achieving those perilous labours alarmed Eurystheus in a greater degree, and he furnished himself with a brazen vessel, where he might secure himself a safe retreat in case of danger. After the death of Hercules, Eurystheus renewed his cruelties against his children, and made war against Ceyx king of Trachinia, because he had given them support, and treated them with hospitality. He was killed in the prosecution of this war by Hyllus the son of Hercules. His head was sent to Alcmena the mother of Hercules, who, mindful of the cruelties which her son had suffered, insulted it and tore out the eyes with the most inveterate fury. Eurystheus was succeeded on the throne of Argos by Atreus his nephew. Hyginus, fables 30 & 32.—Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 4, &c.—Pausanias, bk. 1, ch. 33; bk. 3, ch. 6.—Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 9, fable 6.—Virgil, Æneid, bk. 8, li. 292.
Eury̆te, a daughter of Hippodamus, who married Parthaon. Apollodorus.——The mother of Hallirhotius by Neptune. Apollodorus.
Euryteæ, a town of Achaia. Pausanias, bk. 7, ch. 18.
Eury̆tĕle, a daughter of Thespius.——A daughter of Leucippus. Apollodorus.
Eurythĕmis, the wife of Thestius. Apollodorus.