Thespius

Thespius was the legendary founder and king of Thespiae in Boeotia. He was the grandfather of over 50 sons fathered by Heracles.

History

Thespius was the son of Erechtheus, the King of Athens, and his wife Praxithea. His maternal grandparents were Phrasimus and Diogenia, the daughter of the river god Cephissus. He later married Megamede, the daughter of Arneus. They supposedly had fifty daughters together, although Thespius may have fathered some of the daughters from unnamed mistresses with Megamede being their stepmother.

All his daughters came of marrying age but Thespius seems to have sought no husband for them; he instead desired grandchildren from the hero Heracles. When Heracles was assigned to kill a lion (not to be confused with the Nemean Lion), Thespius offered his fifty daughters as a prize. The hunt for the lion lasted fifty days, and during each night of the hunt Heracles slept with each of the fifty daughters, who in turn each gave birth to one son. Alternate sources claim that Heracles slept with the daughters in a single night. In this version, only forty-nine slept with the hero, with the fiftieth being destined to serve as a virgin priestess of a temple to Heracles, as a punishment for her refusal to sleep with him.

Daughters and Grandchildren by Heracles

1. Aeschreis. Mother of Leucones.
2. Aglaea. Mother of Antiades.
3. Anthea. Mother of Anithaedus.
4. Anthippe. Mother of Hippodromus.
5. Antiope. Mother of Alopius.
6. Argele. Mother of Cleolaus.
7. Asopis. Mother of Mentor.
8. Calametis. Mother of Astybies.
9. Certhe. Mother of Iobes.
10. Chryseis. Mother of Onesippus.
11. Clytippe. Mother of Eurycapys.
12. Elachia. Mother of Buleus.
13. Eone. Mother of Amestrius.
14. Epilais. Mother of Astyanax.
15. Erato. Mother of Dynastes.
16. Euboea. Mother of Olympus, grandmother of Marsyas.
17. Eubote. Mother of Eurypylus.
18. Eurybia. Mother of Polylaus.
19. Euryce. Mother of Teleutagoras.
20. Eurypyle. Mother of Archedicus.
21. Eurytele. Mother of Leucippus.
22. Exole. Mother of Erythras.
23. Heliconis. Mother of Phalias.
24. Hesychia. Mother of Oestrobles.
25. Hippo. Mother of Capylus.
26. Hippocrate. Mother of Hippozygus.
27. Iphis. Mother of Celeustanor.
28. Laothoe. Mother of Antiphus.
29. Lyse. Mother of Eumedes.
30. Lysidice. Mother of Teles.
31. Lysippe. Mother of Erasippus.
32. Marse. Mother of Bucolus.
33. Meline. Mother of Laomedon.
34. Menippis. Mother of Entelides.
35. Nice. Mother of Nicodromus.
36. Nicippe. Mother of Antimachus.
37. Olympusa. Mother of Halocrates.
38. Oria. Mother of Laomenes.
39. Panope. Mother of Threpsippas.
40. Patro. Mother of Archemachus.
41. Phyleis. Mother of Tigasis.
42. Praxithea. Mother of Nephus.
43. Procris. Mother of Antileon and Hippeus.
44. Pyrippe. Mother of Patroclus.
45. Stratonice. Mother of Atromus.
46. Terpsicrate. Mother of Euryopes.
47. Tiphyse. Mother of Lyncaeus.
48. Toxicrate. Mother of Lycurgus.
49. Xanthis. Mother of Homolippus.
50. Crenoia. Mother of Creon.