Page "Althaemenes" Paragraph 1

We know of Althaemenes through the accounts of Diodorus Siculus and Apollodorus.

According to the first of these, Althaemenes received an oracle saying that he was destined to kill his father.

So to avoid this fate, Althaemenes, with many followers, fled Crete for Rhodes and established on Mount Atabyrus ( modern Mount Attavyros in Attavyros ) an altar to Zeus Atabyrius.

Years later, Catreus sailed the seas searching for his son, and heir to his throne.

One night, his ship stopped at Rhodes, fighting arose, and Althaemenes, unknowingly killed Catreus with his spear.

When Althaemenes discovered what he had done, he wandered from place to place, and eventually died from grief.

After which, commanded by an oracle, the Rhodians honored him as a hero.