Oebalus

In Greek mythology, Oebalus, also spelled Oibalus or Oibalius, (/ˈɛbələs/; Ancient Greek: Οἴβαλος, romanized: Oíbalos) was a king of Sparta.

Family

Oibalus was the son of either Cynortas¹ or Argalus.² He was the second husband of Princess Gorgophone and thus son-in-law of the hero Perseus. With her or by the Naiad Bateia,³ Oibalos fathered Tyndareus,⁴⁵⁶ Icarius and Hippocoon, as well as a daughter, Arene, who married her half-brother Aphareus.⁷⁸ The nymph Pirene⁹ and Hyacinth¹⁰¹¹ were also called the daughter and son of Oebalius respectively. His grandchildren, the Dioscuri, were usually referred as Oibalids¹² or Oebalidae.¹³

Oebalus was often confused with Gorgophone's first husband, Perieres, son of Aeolus. They were separate people, usually unrelated though Oebalus was sometimes said to be Perieres's son.³

Comparative table of Oebalus's family
Relation	Names	Sources
Relation	Names	Hesiod	Apollodorus		Dictys	Hyginus	Pausanias		Lucian
Parentage	Perieres		✓
	Argalus				✓
	Cynortas						✓
Consort	Batia		✓
Consort	Gorgophone						✓
Children	Tyndareus	✓	✓		✓	✓
	Hippocoon		✓
	Icarius		✓
	Arene			✓		✓		✓
	Hyacinthus					✓			✓
	Pirene							✓

Notes

Pausanias, 3.1.3
Dictys Cretensis, 1.9
Apollodorus, 3.10.4
Hyginus, Fabulae 14.3
Ovid, Heroides 16.127 ff; not directly named as the son of Oebalus but Helen, the reputed daughter of Tyndareus was called "... a nymph of Oebalus' line ..." which means she was a descendant of the latter through his son Tyndareus.
Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 1.420 ff; mentioned that Pollux was called the grandson of Oebalus, the father of their father Tyndareus.
Apollodorus, 3.10.3
Hyginus, Fabulae 78
Megalai Ehoiai fr. 258, cited in Pausanias, 2.2.2
Lucian, Dialogi Deorum 16
Hyginus, Fabulae 271
Ovid, Fasti 5.705
Statius, Thebaid 5.438

References

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. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
Dictys Cretensis, from The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer Jr. (1931-). Indiana University Press. 1966. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Gaius Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volume 286. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at theio.com.
Gaius Valerius Flaccus, Argonauticon. Otto Kramer. Leipzig. Teubner. 1913. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Lucian of Samosata, Dialogues of the Gods translated by Fowler, H W and F G. Oxford: The Clarendon Press. 1905. Online version at theoi.com
Luciani Samosatensis, Opera. Vol I. Karl Jacobitz. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1896. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Publius Ovidius Naso, Fasti translated by James G. Frazer. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Publius Ovidius Naso, Fasti. Sir James George Frazer. London; Cambridge, MA. William Heinemann Ltd.; Harvard University Press. 1933. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Publius Ovidius Naso, The Epistles of Ovid. London. J. Nunn, Great-Queen-Street; R. Priestly, 143, High-Holborn; R. Lea, Greek-Street, Soho; and J. Rodwell, New-Bond-Street. 1813. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
Publius Ovidius Naso. Amores, Epistulae, Medicamina faciei femineae, Ars amatoria, Remedia amoris. Edition by R. Ehwald; Rudolphi Merkelii; Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1907. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid translated by John Henry Mozley. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid. Vol I-II. John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

[1] Pausanias, 3.1.3

[2] Dictys Cretensis, 1.9

[:0-3] Apollodorus, 3.10.4

[4] Hyginus, Fabulae 14.3

[5] Ovid, Heroides 16.127 ff; not directly named as the son of Oebalus but Helen, the reputed daughter of Tyndareus was called "... a nymph of Oebalus' line ..." which means she was a descendant of the latter through his son Tyndareus.

[6] Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica 1.420 ff; mentioned that Pollux was called the grandson of Oebalus, the father of their father Tyndareus.

[7] Apollodorus, 3.10.3

[8] Hyginus, Fabulae 78

[9] Megalai Ehoiai fr. 258, cited in Pausanias, 2.2.2

[10] Lucian, Dialogi Deorum 16

[11] Hyginus, Fabulae 271

[12] Ovid, Fasti 5.705

[13] Statius, Thebaid 5.438

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