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Amphitryon

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

In Greek myth, the mortal husband of Alcmene and stepfather of Heracles, often portrayed as a noble but overshadowed figure in heroic narratives.

Detailed Definition
Amphitryon, a Theban general, was deceived by Zeus, who impersonated him to father Heracles with Alcmene. Though cuckolded, he raised Heracles as his own. In poetry, he symbolizes unwitting complicity in divine plans and the complexities of paternity and honor.
Example
Example in poetry:
Apollodorus recounts Amphitryon as Heracles’ mortal stepfather and husband of Alcmene; In Plautus’s comedy Amphitryon, Zeus impersonates him to seduce Alcmene; Ovid alludes to the confusion of identities in his Fasti; Seneca’s Hercules Furens references Amphitryon’s paternal concern; Later drama uses Amphitryon as a figure of cuckoldry and divine deception.
Additional Notes
Amphitryon, mortal husband of Alcmene, is best known from Plautus’s comedy and Apollodorus’s myth: Zeus impersonates him to conceive Heracles. This leads to complex questions of paternity and identity. Students should explore how Amphitryon embodies cuckoldry and paternal anxiety. In Seneca and later drama, he’s a figure of pathos and confusion. Related: Alcmene, Heracles, Zeus’s seductions, recognition scenes.
Also Known As
Amphitryon the Foster-Father Husband of Alcmene General of Thebes Stepfather of Heracles
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