Amphiarāus

, son of Oicleus, or, according to others, of Apollo by Hypermnestra, was at the chase of the Calydonian boar, and accompanied the Argonauts in their expedition. He was famous for his knowledge of futurity and thence he is called by some son of Apollo. He married Eriphyle, the sister of Adrastus king of Argos, by whom he had two sons, Alcmæon and A mph i loch us. When Adrastus, at the request of Polynices, declared war against Thebes, Amphiaraus secreted himself, not to accompany his brother-in-law in an expedition in which he knew he was to perish. But Eriphyle, who knew where he had concealed himself, was prevailed upon to betray him by Polynices, who gave her as a reward for her perfidy a famous golden necklace set with diamonds. Amphiaraus being thus discovered, went to the war, but previously charged his son Alcmæon to put to death his mother Eriphyle, as soon as he was informed that he was killed. The Theban war was fatal to the Argives, and Amphiaraus was swallowed up in his chariot by the earth, as he attempted to retire from the battle. The news of his death was brought to Alcmæon, who immediately executed his father’s command, and murdered Eriphyle. Amphiaraus received divine honours after death, and had a celebrated temple and oracle at Oropos in Attica. His statue was made of white marble, and near his temple was a fountain, whose waters were ever held sacred. They only who had consulted his oracle, or had been delivered from a disease, were permitted to bathe in it, after which they threw pieces of gold and silver into the stream. Those who consulted the oracle of Amphiaraus first purified themselves, and abstained from food for 24 hours, and three days from wine, after which they sacrificed a ram to the prophet, and spread the skin upon the ground, upon which they slept in expectation of receiving in a dream the answer of the oracle. Plutarch, De Defectu Oraculorum , mentions that the oracle of Amphiaraus was once consulted in the time of Xerxes, by one of the servants of Mard on i us, for his master, who was then with an army in Greece; and that the servant, when asleep, saw in a dream the priest of the temple, who upbraided him and drove him away, and even threw stones at his head when he refused to comply. This oracle was verified in the death of Mard on i us, who was actually killed by the blow of a stone which he received on the head. Cicero , de Div in at i one , bk. 1 , ch. 40 .— Phi lost ratus , Lives .— A poll on i us , bk. 2 , ch. 11 .— Homer , Ody ey , bk. 15 , li. 243 , . — Hyginus , fables 70, 73, 128, & 150.— Diodorus , bk. 4 .— Ovid , bk. 9 , fable 10.— Pausanias , bk. 1 , ch. 34 ; bk. 2 , ch. 37 ; bk. 9 , chs. 8 & 19.— Aeschylus , Seven Against Thebes .— Apollo dor us , bk. 1 , chs. 8 & 9; bk. 3 , ch. 6 , . — Strabo , bk. 8 .