House of Thebes

Thebes was a principal city in the valley of southern Boeotia, between the Cithaeron Mountains in the north and Lake Copaïs (Copais) in the southeast. The city was originally named Cadmeia after Cadmus, its founder and first king. It was later named Thebes after the wife of Zethus. It was the scene of the famous war, Seven Against Thebes.

Thebes was also one of the prominent cities during the classical period, where it enjoyed a brief supremacy in Greece during the 4th century under the military leadership of Epaminondas and Pelopidas, where they defeated the Spartan armies in Leuctra (371 BC) and Mantinea (362 BC). The best known writer from Thebes was the lyric poet Pindar who wrote odes to the Olympic and Pythian Games (early 5th century BC).

Before you read about Cadmus and his descendants, you may want to take the time to read about Europa in the Minoan Crete page because it is related to why Cadmus left his father's kingdom in the Phoenician city of Sidon. Originally the myth of Europa was found on this page, but I have finally decided to move this to a new page called Minoan Crete. I would like to apologise if this causes you any inconvenience.