Cadmus is a key person in the world of Greek mythology and is best known as the famous founder and creator of the ancient city of Thebes.
His fascinating life story is defined by adventures, love, and divine intervention, making him one of the most well-known characters in Greek mythology.
The quest of Cadmus in Greek mythology
Cadmus was born in Tyre, Phoenicia in today’s Middle East. He was the son of King Agenor and Queen Telephassa.
His tale begins with the kidnapping of his sister Europa by none other than Zeus, the king of the gods, who had transformed himself into a bull. Following this event, Cadmus set out on a quest to locate and repatriate his sister. This would take him far from home on an adventurous and dangerous journey.
After consulting the famous Oracle of Delphi, Cadmus was told by the gods to abandon his hunt for Europa and instead pursue a…cow with unusual characteristics!
Cadmus was surprised but followed the advice. He then planned to build a new metropolis where the cow would rest. This is how Cadmus eventually established the city of Thebes in the exact location where he found the cow resting.
It has to be noted that Thebes still exists and is a small city north of Athens in the Boeotia (also spelt as Viotia) regional unit.
Cadmus and the dragon
While Cadmus was preparing to sacrifice the cow to the goddess Athena, he sent his followers and comrades to a nearby spring to fetch fresh water. When they went to the spring, they found out that it was guarded by a massive and fearsome dragon, which was dedicated to Ares, the war god. The dragon murdered the entirety of Cadmus’ troops, forcing the hero to confront the beast himself.
Cadmus, following a fearsome battle, finally won, thanks to the divine intervention of Athena. The goddess then told him to sow the defeated dragon’s teeth into the ground.
From these teeth emerged fully armed warriors known as the Spartoi, which, in Greek, means “the sowed.” Initially hostile to Cadmus, the Spartoi began fighting amongst themselves, eventually being reduced to five. These five warriors would become the illustrious forebears of the Theban aristocracy and help the city establish itself in the ancient Greek world as an important power.
As a reward for his bravery, the gods gave Cadmus the hand of Harmonia, Ares and Aphrodite’s beloved daughter. All of the gods visited the couple’s wedding and offered divine gifts to them. However, one of these gifts, a necklace made by Hephaestus, would bring misery and sorrow to their descendants.
Cadmus and Harmonia, following their wedding, ruled Thebes for many years and raised multiple children. Among them were Semele, the mother of Dionysus. Despite his wealthy life and luxurious amenities, according to Greek mythology, the family of Cadmus was defined by tragedy, which he blamed on the curse caused by slaying the sacred dragon.
In his final years, Cadmus abdicated the throne and moved to Illyria with Harmonia in what is today’s Adriatic coast of Albania. There, several tales of Greek mythology suggest that the couple was transformed into serpents, symbolizing their eternal love and end of their mortal journey on this planet.
Cadmus is also credited with teaching the Phoenician script to the Greeks, significantly contributing to the advancement of Greek language and literature, as the Phoenician alphabet became the foundation of the Greek and, later on, Latin alphabets.
