Sthenelus (son of Capaneus)

Sthenelus was the son of CapaneusHyginus, Fabulae 71, 175 & 257Apollodorus, 3.7.2 & 3.10.8 and Evadne.Hyginus, Fabulae 97 He was the father of Cylarabes and Cometes, lover of Aegialia.Apollodorus, Epitome 6.9

Sthenelus' father Capaneus was one of the Seven Against Thebes. He was an outstanding warrior, but he was also notorious for his arrogance. He stood just at the wall of Thebes during the war of the Seven against Thebes and shouted that Zeus himself could not stop him from invading it. While he was mounting the ladder, Zeus struck and killed Capaneus with a thunderbolt. At his funeral, Sthenelus watched as his mother Evadne threw herself on her husband's funeral pyre and died.Euripides, The Suppliants 983 ff.; Sophocles, Antigone 133; Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.404; Apollodorus, 3.6.6–3.7.1; Hyginus, Fabulae 243; Philostratus of Lemnos, Eikones 2.31; Ars Amatoria 3.21

The sons of the Seven Against Thebes, including Sthenelus, swore to avenge their fathers, after which they were called the Epigoni. Ten years later, they defeated the Thebans and took the city. Sthenelus ruled Iphis' half of Argos, along with Diomedes, after both Adrastus and Aegialeus had died.Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Crowell Press, 1970, p. 537.

Sthenelus fought alongside Diomedes and the other Argives in the Trojan War and brought 25 ships to Troy. In the Iliad, Agamemnon insults Sthenelus and Diomedes by comparing them to their fathers. While Diomedes keeps his composure, Sthenelus cannot contain his anger. He boasts that they are better than their fathers, because they were able to capture Thebes when their fathers had not been able to do so. This may indicate that he, like his father, is arrogant. However, when Diomedes advises him not to argue with Agamemnon further, he heeds Diomedes' counsel, showing that he is capable of thinking rationally, even in the heat of anger.Homer, Iliad 4.403-410

The Iliad portrays Sthenelus and Diomedes as close companions both on and off the battlefield. Sthenelus drives Diomedes' chariot and advises him in battle. Their close relationship is emphasized by Diomedes when he proclaims that, even if all the other Achaeans lose faith and return home, he and Sthenelus will stand together and fight until Troy falls.Homer, Iliad 9.52-58

Sthenelus was one of the men who hid in the Trojan horse.Hyginus, Fabulae 108

When Diomedes returned to Argos after the fall of Troy, he learned that his wife Aegiale was having an affair with Cometes, the son of Sthenelus. They plotted to kill Diomedes, but he was able to escape and travel to Italy. It is unknown if Sthenelus joined him or stayed in Argos. He was succeeded by his son Cylarabes.Tripp, Edward. Crowell's Handbook of Classical Mythology. New York: Thomas Crowell Press, 1970, p. 537. During Cylarabes' reign, Argos was finally reunited after having been divided into three parts since the reign of Anaxagoras.Pausanias, 2.18.5

• Minor planet 3794 Sthenelos is named after him.

{{cite book|url=https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-540-29925-7_3788 |publisher=Springer |date=2003 |isbn=978-3-540-29925-7 |doi=10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3788 |chapter=(3794) Sthenelos |title=Dictionary of Minor Planet Names |pages=321 }}

• Sthenelus is the name of a supergiant star in the Warhammer 40k franchise. The Iron Hands Space Marine Chapter's homeworld of Medusa orbits this star.

{{s-start}}

{{s-reg}}

{{succession box

| title = King of Argos

| years =

| before = Iphis

| after = Cylarabes

}}

{{s-end}}

{{Characters in the Iliad}}

• Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
• Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
• Homer, Homeri Opera in five volumes. Oxford, Oxford University Press. 1920. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0133 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
• Pseudo-Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].

• {{Commonscatinline|Sthenelus (son of Capaneus)}}

Category:Achaean Leaders

Category:Mythological Argives