AMPHITRYON

in Greek mythology, son of Alcaeus, king of Tiryns. Having accidentally killed his uncle Electryon, king of Mycenae, Amphitryon fled with Alcmene, Electryon's daughter, to Thebes, where he was cleansed from the guilt by Creon, his maternal uncle, king of Thebes. Alcmene refused to marry Amphitryon until he had avenged the death of her brothers, all of whom except one had fallen in battle against the Taphians. Creon offered his help if Amphitryon would rid him of the uncatchable Cadmeian vixen. Amphitryon borrowed Cephalus' invincible Creton hound Laelaps, and Zeus changed both Laelaps and the vixen to stone. The Taphians, however, remained invincible until Comaetho, the king's daughter, out of love for Amphitryon, cut off her father's golden hair, the possession of which rendered him immortal. On Amphitryon's return to Thebes he married Alcmene. The more famous portion of the myth concerns Amphitryon's wife. When Amphitryon was once absent at war, Alcmene became pregnant by Zeus, who, disguised as her husband, visited her; she became pregnant again by her real husband upon his return. Of these unions were born twin boys, of whom Iphicles was the son of Amphitryon, Heracles the son of Zeus. A number of ancient dramatists presented the theme, notably Plautus, whose comedy Amphitruo still survives.