Introduction
Zethus is a son of Zeus and Antiope, twin brother of Amphion, and, with him, a co-founder and co-ruler of Thebes, remembered as the physically strong counterpart to his musically gifted brother.
Family
- Father: Zeus
- Mother: Antiope
- Siblings: Persephone, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, Eileithyia, Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania, Perseus, Heracles, Arcas, Epaphus, Aeacus, Dardanus, Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon, Pollux (Polydeuces), Helen, Amphion
Builder of Thebes
Where Amphion moved stones with the magic of his lyre, Zethus, a herdsman by upbringing and immensely strong, hauled and set the heavier stones of Thebes's fortifications by force alone, the two brothers together completing the city's famous walls through complementary talents.
Family
Zethus's own family life is given less attention in surviving sources than his brother's, and different traditions vary on the details of his marriage and any children; his significance in myth lies chiefly in this shared founding role with Amphion.