Apis (Inachid)

Apis
Apis, here dubbed as Serapis, in the Nuremberg Chronicle. Many Greek authors conflated the Egyptian god Serapis with Apis
King of Argos
General Information
Species	Mortal
Sex	Male
Abodes	Argos
Relationships
Parents	Phoroneus (father) Teledice (mother)
Siblings	Niobe (sister)
Languages
Hellēnikḗ(Ancient Greek)	Ἄπις
Equivalents
Graeco-Egyptian equivalent	Serapis

Apis, was a king of Argos. He was a son of Phoroneus by the nymph Teledice, and brother of Argus and Niobe.

During his reign, he established a tyrannical government and called the Peloponnesus after his own name Apia, but was eventually killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion, king of Sparta, and Telchis.

Etymology

His name is derived from apios "far-off" or "of the pear-tree". Ancient Greek: Ἄπις

Mythology

Reign

During Apis' reign he established a tyrannical government and called the Peloponnesus after his own name Apia, but was eventually killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion, king of Sparta, and Telchis. Argus Panoptes, a descendant of his sister Niobe, avenged his murder by putting Thelxion and Telchis to death.

According to Apollodorus of Athens, he states that Apis, the son of Phoroneus, was killed by Aetolus; but this is a mistake arising from the confusion of this Apis with another Apis who was the son of Jason, who was killed by Aetolus during the funeral games celebrated in honor of Azanes.

APIS' CHRONOLOGY OF REIGN ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES
Kings of Argos	Regnal Years		Castor	Regnal Years		Syncellus	Regnal Years	Apollodorus	Hyginus	Tatian	Pausanias
Precessor	1652	60 winters & summers	Phoroneus	1649.5	60 winters & summers	Phoroneus	1650	Phoroneus	-do-	-do-	-do-
Apis	1622	35 winters & summers	Apis	1619.5	35 winters & summers	Apis	1625	Apis	-do-	-do-	-do-
Successor	1604.5	70 winters & summers	Argus	1602	70 winters & summers	Argus	1600	Argus	-do-	Argeius or Criasus	Argus

Conflation with Serapis

Apis, the son of Phoroneus, is said, after his death, to have been worshiped as a god under the name of Serapis (Σάραπις). This confusion is still more manifest in the tradition, that Apis gave his kingdom of Argus to his brother, and went to Egypt, where he reigned for several years afterwards. Apis is spoken of as one of the earliest lawgivers among the Greeks. Both these stories show that Egyptian myths were mixed up with the story of Apis.

Family

Inachid Genealogy in Greek mythology

Inachus   Melia                                                                                                   Zeús   Io                 Phoroneus   Teledice                                                                                                                   Epaphus   Memphis             Apis             Argus   Evadne                                                                                                 Libya   Poseidôn                               Criasos   Melantho                                                                                                                           Belos   Achiroe             Agenor   Telephassa                     Phorbas   Cleobea                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Danaus   Pieria   Aegyptus   Cadmus   Cilix   Europa   Phoenix   Gelanor       Triopas             Jasus                                                                                                                     Hypermnestra       Lynceus   Kings of Thebes   Kings of Cilicia   Kings of Crete   Kings of Phoenicia                         Sosis               Nepeira                               Lacedaemon                                                                                                             Sparta Abas           Ocalea                                       Crotopos             Sthenelos                                                                       Eurydice         Acrisius   Proetus   Stheneboea                                                       Zeús   Danaë           Megapenthes   Demophile                                                               Perseus   Andromeda           Argeos   Pyrante                                                                                                     Alcaeus     Electryon   Sthenelus     Anaxagoras                         Hyrmine                                 Astydamia           Eurydice                             Nicippe                                                                             Amphitryon         Alcmene     Zeús   Eurystheus           Alector   Iphis   Helice                                                                                                         Automedusa   Iphicles         Heracles                     Itea           Sthenelius                                                                                       Cylabares           Iolaus   Megara                                             Heraclidae (see Heraclid genealogy)               Bacchiadae After Eurystheus, the kingdom of Mycenae passed to the Atreids in the person of Atreus After Cylabares, the kingdom of Argos passed to the Atreids of Mycenae in the person of Orestes (Atreus' grandson)

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