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Although the Athenian tragedies about Ino and Polyidus have not survived complete, we learn about their myths from plot summaries composed by Apollodorus who wrote The Library in Greek and Hyginus who wrote Genealogies or Stories in Latin.

Readers digest versions of traditional myths were very popular in the Roman imperial period, and, while we do not know anything about either Apollodorus or Hyginus, they appear to have composed their texts in the 2^nd century CE. Scholars have shown that both authors used a variety of sources such as earlier collections of myth and that they sometimes made mistakes. You will see that their accounts of the Polyidus story are slightly different. While it is unfortunate that Apollodorus does not include the part of Ino’s story dramatized in Euripides’ play, it is important that Hyginus, in his summary of Ino, says that he is giving Euripides’ version. This may lead to the conclusion that Hyginus’ version of Polyidus is closer to Euripides’ than Apollodorus’ version.

The Story of Polyidus, Argive Seer, and Minos, King of Crete

Hyginus Stories 136

Glaucus, son of Minos and Pasiphae, fell into a storage jar full of honey while playing ball. When his parents sought after him, they inquired about the boy from Apollo, and Apollo answered them: ‘You have a portentous creature born for you; if anyone explains it, he will restore the boy to you.’ When he heard the oracle, Minos began to seek the portent from his people, who told him that a calf had been born which changed its color three times a day, every four hours, first white, then ruddy, and after that black. Then Minos called augurs together to explain the portent; when they could not be found, Polyidus the son of Coeranus †of Byzantium† made the portent clear: it was like a mulberry tree; for it was first white, then red, and when it matured, black. Then Minos said to him, ‘In accord with Apollo’s oracle, you must restore my son to me.’ While Polyidus was seeking signs, he saw an owl perched above a wine cellar, and driving bees away. He accepted the sign, and brought the boy lifeless from the storage jar. Minos said to him, ‘You have found his body: now restore his life’s breath.’ When Polyidus said that this was impossible, Minos ordered him to be shut up together with the boy inside a tomb, and a sword to be put there. When they had been shut inside, a serpent suddenly approached the boy’s body; thinking that it wished to devour it, Polyidus struck it instantly with the sword and slew it. Another serpent, seeking its mate, saw that that it had been killed; it went and brought a herb to it, and with its touch restored the breath of life to the serpent. Polyidus accordingly did the same (i.e. to the boy). When they cried out from inside the tomb, a passer-by reported it to Minos; he ordered the tomb to be opened and recovered his son safe and well, and sent Polyidus back to his homeland with many rewards.

The † sign means that scholars are not certain whether the word in between daggers was correctly transmitted.

Translation by Christopher Collard and Martin Cropp, reproduced with the kind permission of The Loeb Classical Library.

Apollodorus The Library 3.17-20

When he was still a young child, Glaucus, fell into a large storage container of honey while chasing a mouse and died. Since he was nowhere to be found, Minos had a large search made and consulted an oracle about discovering him. The Curetes told him that he had a three-colored cow in his herds and that the man who was able to best represent its color would also restore the boy alive. After the seers were summoned, Polyidus, the son of Coeranus, compared the color of the cow to the fruit of a bramble, and when he was forced to seek the child, he found him through some manner of divination. When Minos said that he must also get him back alive, Polyidus was shut up with the corpse. In a state of great helplessness, he saw a snake going towards the corpse. Having hit it with a stone he killed it, afraid lest he himself might die if the body suffered at all. Another snake arrived and went away when it saw the first snake dead; then it returned carrying a plant and applied this to the whole body of the first snake. When the plant had been applied, it was resurrected. Polyidus saw this and marveled. When he used the same plant on Glaucus’ body, he resurrected him. Although Minos received his son back, even so he did not allow Polyidus to depart for Argos before he taught Glaucus prophecy. Since he was forced, Polyidus taught him. When he was sailing away, he ordered Glaucus to spit into his mouth. When he did this, Glaucus forgot prophecy.

The story of Ino and Themisto, wives of Athamas King of Thessaly

Hyginus Stories 4

EURIPIDES’ INO. When Athamas king of Thessaly came to think that his wife Ino, by whom (he had had) two sons, had died, he took Themisto, a nymph’s daughter, as wife; with her he fathered twin sons. (2) Later he discovered that Ino was on Mount Parnassus, and that she had gone there for bacchic rites; he sent men to fetch her, and when that was done, disguised her. (3) Themisto discovered that the woman had been found, but did not know who she was. She formed a wish to murder Ino’s sons; as accessory to the act she took Ino herself, whom she believed to be a captive, and told her to veil her own sons in white vestments, and Ino’s sons in black. (4) Ino veiled her own sons in white, Themisto’s in black; then Themisto was deceived and killed her own sons. When she discovered this, she slew herself. (5) Athamas moreover while hunting killed his elder son Learchus through madness; but Ino threw herself into the sea together with her younger son Melicertes, and was deified.

Translation by Christopher Collard and Martin Cropp, reproduced with the kind permission of The Loeb Classical Library.