LELEX IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Lelex in Greek Mythology

​In Greek mythology, Lelex is regarded as the first king of Laconia, the land that would become better known as Lacedaemon or Sparta. 

The Autochthonous Lelex

Lelex is generally regarded as one of the autochthonous of Greek mythology, a son of the soil, a man born without mother or father, thus making Lelex amongst the first indigenous people of the land of Laconia. 
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Some though say that Lelex was not one of the autochthonous, nor an individual who was indigenous to the Peloponnese, for these people say that he arrived in the land that would be Laconia from Egypt, where he had been born to Libya, by Poseidon. These people are thus stating that Lelex was a descendant of Io, one of the three great ancestors of the Greek people. 

Lelex King of Laconia

​In either case, whether Lelex was born in Greece or Egypt, Lelex would be associated with the Peloponnese. The land which Lelex came to rule, in Greek mythology, was referred to as Laconia, though a previous name of Lelegia was also used. This is because Lelex was also considered to be founder of the Leleges people, an early aboriginal people of Greece. 

The family Line of Lelex

Lelex was said to have married the Naiad nymph Cleochareia, and to have become father to a number of children, most notably, the sons, Myles and Polycaon. 

​The rule of Laconia, by a direct line of male descendants of Lelex, was short-lived, for the son of Myles, Eurotas, had no sons himself, and the kingdom of Laconia passed to Eurotas’ son-in-law, Lacedaemon. 

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Colin Quartermain - Lelex - 8th December 2019