Thoas (Tauri king)

Thoas (Greek Θόας, the Fast ), the son of Borsthenes was, was revered in his country Artemis in Greek mythology, the king of Tauris on the Crimean peninsula, a neighboring people the Scythians.

Iphigenia, saved by the sacrificial death, was transferred there as a priestess of Artemis. In the Kingdom of Thoas there was the cruel custom of sacrificing strangers stranded on the shores of the goddess Artemis. Orestes and Pylades landed on the coast and should be sacrificed in the temple. However, Iphigenia recognized her brother freed the two together and the three fled across the sea. Since they had stolen the statue of Artemis, Chryses should follow them and return it. Thoas himself was prevented from pursuing the two by Athena. When Chryses had overtaken the fugitives, he learned that he was the half-brother of Orestes. Therefore, he returned empty-handed to Thoas and killed them. Specifically a temple of Artemis at Argos was built for the Artemis statue.

Thoas, King of Tauris, both in Euripides' Iphigenia in Tauris in the country as well as in Goethe's Iphigenie and Gluck's opera Iphigénie en Tauride a main character.

Swell

• Libraries of Apollodorus, 9, 27
• Antoninus liberalism, Metamorphoses, 27
• Euripides, Iphigenia in Tauris.
• Gaius Valerius Flaccus, Argonautica.
• Mythographus Hyginus, Fabulae, 120; 121