In Greek mythology, Ialysus (Ancient Greek: Ἰάλυσον Ialysos) or Jalysus (Ἰᾱλυσός) was the eponymous founder of Ialysus in Rhodes. He was the eldest son of the Rhodian king, Cercaphus, one of the Heliades, and his niece Cydippe, daughter of Ochimus, also a former king. He had two younger brothers, Lindus and Camirus.
Mythology[]
Ialysus and his brothers succeeded to the throne after their father's death. During their time, the great deluge came in which their mother, who was now named as Cyrbe, was buried beneath the flood and laid waste. Later on, they parted the land among themselves, and each of them founded a city which bore his name. Ialysus was a local hero, the founder of the town of the same name in the island of Rhodes, and probably was represented as a huntsman.
Painting by Protogenes[]
Protogenes was an ancient Greek painter, a contemporary rival of Apelles, though none of his works survive. One of his famous works was the Ialysus. The Ialysus, he spent seven years; on another, the Satyr, he worked continuously during the siege of Rhodes by Demetrius Poliorcetes notwithstanding that the garden in which he painted was in the middle of the enemy's camp. Demetrius, unsolicited, took measures for his safety. When told that the Ialysus just mentioned was in a part of the town exposed to assault, Demetrius even changed his plan of operations to avoid causing harm to it.
This picture was still in Rhodes in the time of Cicero but was afterwards removed to Rome, where it perished in the burning of the Temple of Peace.