Emathus

See also Emathion

In Greek mythology, Emathus, Emathius or Amathus (Ancient Greek:Ἥμαθος, Ἠμάθιος, Ἄμαθος), was son of Makednos, from whom Emathia (the Homeric name of Lower Macedonia) was believed to have derived its name. The daughters of his brother Pierus, the Pierides, are sometimes called Emathides after him. The Emathian or Emathius in Latin is a frequently used epithet in Latin poets for Alexander the Great.

Emathus was apparently first called son of Makednos in Marsyas of Pella (c. 330 BC), who made Emathos and Pieros the eponymous founders of these two regions in Ancient Macedonia. According to Solinus (9.10), Emathius was unrelated to and earlier than Makednos. He also says that while the country was still called Emathia, Orestes and Hermione arrived and had a son Orestis there, who founded an empire (also called Orestis) stretching to the Adriatic; this was some time before Makednos.

According to Stephanus of Byzantium, Brusos was a son of Emathius, from whom Brusis, a portion of Macedonia, was believed to have derived its name. Galadrus, another son of Emathius, is likewise credited with giving his name to the city of Galadrai.

References

• Grimal, Pierre, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Wiley-Blackwell, 1996. ISBN 978-0-631-20102-1
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Stephanus of Byzantium, Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt, edited by August Meineike (1790-1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. Online version at the Topos Text Project.