Megapenthes
- a son of Proetus, Hyg. Fab. 244.
(Μεγαπένθης).
1. A son of Proetus, was king of Argos, and father of Anaxagoras and Iphianeira. (Paus. 2.18.4; Diod. 4.68.) He exchanged his dominion for that of Perseus, so that the latter received Tiryns instead of Argos. (Apollod. 2.4.4; Paus. 2.16.3.) He is said to have afterwards slain Perseus. (Hyg. Fab. 244.)
2. A son of Menelaus by an Aetolian slave, Pieris or Teridae. Menelaus brought about a marriage between Megapenthes and a daughter of Alector. (Hom. Od. 3.188, 4.11, 15.100; Apollod. 3.11.1.) According to a tradition current in Rhodes, Megapenthes, after the death of his father, expelled Helen from Argos, and she fled to Polyxo at Rhodes. (Paus. 3.19.2 ; comp. 2.18.5, 3.18.7.)
A third personage of this name occurs in Eustathius (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1480). [L.S]
- Apollod. 3.11.1; Paus. 2.18.6
- with Nicostratus drives Helen from Laconia: Paus. 3.19.9
- represented riding with Nicostratus on horseback: Paus. 3.18.13
- Apollod. 2.2.2
- Perseus surrenders the kingdom of Argos to him and receives Tiryns in exchange: Apollod. 2.4.4; Paus. 2.16.3
- father of Argus: Paus. 2.18.4