A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology

(Ἆπις).

1. A son of Phoroneus by the nymph Laodice, and brother of Niobe. He was king of Argos, established a tyrannical goverment, and called Peloponnesus after his own name Apia ; but he was killed in a conspiracy headed by Thelxion and Telchis. (Apollod. 1.7. 6, 2.1.1.) In the former of these passages Apollodorus states, that Apis, the son of Phoroneus, was killed by Aetolus; but this is a mistake arising from the confusion of our Apis, with Apis the son of Jason,

who was killed by Aetolus during the funeral games celebrated in honour of Azanes. (Paus. v. 50.6; AETOLUS.)

Apis, the son of Phoroneus, is said, after his death, to have been worshipped as a god, under the name of Serapis (Σάραπις); and this statement shews that Egyptian mythuses are mixed up with the story of Apis. This confusion is still more manifest in the tradition, that Apis gave his kingdom of Argos to his brother, and went to Egypt, where he reigned for several fears afterwards. (Euseb. Chron. n. 271; Augustin, de Civ. Dei, 18.5.) Apis is spoken of as one of the earliest lawgivers among the Greeks. (Theodoret. Graec. Affect. Cur. vol. iv. p. 927, ed. Schulz.)