Althaemenes

thumb | right | Attavyros mountain, the place Althemenes fled to In Greek mythology, Althaemenes or Althemenes (Ancient Greek: Ἀλθαιμένης) was a Cretan prince as the only son of King Catreus of Crete. He was the brother of Apemosyne, Aerope and Clymene. Althaemenes mistakenly killed his father thereby fulfilling an oracle.

== Mythology == Althaemenes is known through the accounts of Diodorus Siculus and Apollodorus. According to the first of these, Althaemenes received an oracle saying that he was destined to kill his father. So to avoid this fate, Althaemenes, with many followers, fled Crete for Rhodes, and established on Mount Atabyrus (modern Attavyros) an altar to Zeus Atabyrius. Years later, Catreus sailed the seas searching for his son, and heir to his throne. One night, his ship stopped at Rhodes, fighting arose, and Althaemenes, unknowingly killed Catreus with his spear. When Althaemenes discovered what he had done, he wandered from place to place, and eventually died from grief. After which, commanded by an oracle, the Rhodians honored him as a hero.