Nauplia

Nauplia was a seaport city on the Gulf of Argolis, was founded by Nauplius.

There is some confusion, because there are two Nauplius. Nauplius was the son of Poseidon and Amymone, the daughter of King Danaus of Argos. Nauplius was a great seaman, and he was known as Nauplius the Navigator. Nauplius was not only the king of Nauplia, he was also pirate who was known to practice slavery, particularly abducting and selling princesses to other kings.

One slave was Auge, the daughter of King Aleus of Tegea. Aleus discovered that Auge had become pregnant when Heracles stayed in Tegea (during the war against Augeias of Elis or Hippocoon of Sparta), so Aleus ordered Nauplius to sell his daughter. Nauplius sold Auge to Teuthra, the king of Mysia and founder of Teuthrania. Fortunately for the princess, Teuthra fell in love with Auge, so he married her. Auge became the mother of Telephus, who guided the Greek fleet to Troy during the Trojan War.

According to Apollodorus, Nauplius was married to Clymene, the daughter of Crateus of Crete, the son of Minos and Pasiphae. And he was the father of Palemedes, Oiax and Nausimedon. Palemedes helped Agamemnon to recruit Odysseus for the army during the Trojan War. Palemedes exposed Odysseus' ploy (feigning madness), by threatening the death of the infant Telemachus, Odysseus' son. Odysseus got his revenge by planting Trojan gold in Palemedes' tent and a false letter from King Priam of Troy. Palemedes was condemned as a traitor and was stoned to death. See Conscriptions and the Arrival in Troy in the Trojan War.

Nauplius, in turn, took revenge upon several Greek leaders who were returning home from Troy. Nauplius managed to make the wives of Agamemnon, Diomedes and Idomenus of Crete, to take lovers in during their husbands' absence. Clytemnestra's lover, Aegisthus, murdered Agamemnon. The lovers drove Diomedes and Idomenus into exile.

During the storm near the shore of Euboea, the Greek fleet thought that they were near harbour, because Nauplius had set a false beacon. The ships were wrecked against the rock and many drowned. For this, Nauplius was known as the Wrecker of Ships.

There was also the Argonaut Nauplius who sailed with Jason on the Argo. According to Apollonius of Rhodes, the Argonaut Nauplius was the son of Clytoneus, and the great, great, great grandson of the founder of Nauplia (Nauplius I). He was most likely to be the father of Palemedes and the Wrecker of Ships, since he lived closer to the time of the Trojan War, while Nauplius I was born several generations before Acrisius.