The Prophecy of Catreus
King Catreus learns that one of his children will cause his death, but attempts to escape the prophecy ultimately bring it to fulfilment.
The Story
Catreus was a son of Minos and became king of Crete.
He had children including Aerope and Althaemenes.
Catreus learned from an oracle that he would die through one of his own children.
The prophecy immediately threatened the royal family.
Althaemenes discovered what had been foretold.
Rather than remain in Crete and risk becoming the cause of his father's death, he left the island.
He travelled to Rhodes.
Years passed.
When Catreus grew old, he wished to find Althaemenes and transfer the kingship to him.
The king sailed to Rhodes.
But the landing took place at night and confusion followed.
The local people believed strangers were attacking.
Althaemenes came to defend the island.
He did not recognise his father.
During the fighting he killed Catreus.
Only afterward did he discover the identity of the man he had struck down.
The prophecy had been fulfilled precisely because father and son had tried to avoid it.
The story belongs to one of the most persistent themes in Greek mythology: knowledge of fate does not necessarily provide a means of escaping it.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The story connects the later generations of the House of Minos with the Greek theme of unavoidable prophecy, while also establishing Catreus as the father of Aerope and therefore an ancestor of Agamemnon and Menelaus.
Traditions & Variations
Ancient accounts vary over some details of Catreus' family and the events surrounding his death, but the oracle and accidental killing by Althaemenes form the central surviving tradition.