In Greek mythology, the name Abas (/ă'-bas/; Ancient Greek: Ἄβας; gen.: Ἄβαντος means "guileless" or "good-hearted") is attributed to several individuals:
Abas, son of Poseidon and Arethusa.[2] A Thracian by birth, Abas founded a tribe known as the Abantians or Abantes. Abas and his Abantian followers migrated to the island of Euboea, where he subsequently reigned as king. He was father of Canethus[3] and Chalcodon,[4] and through the latter grandfather of Elephenor, who is known to have accidentally killed him.[5] In some accounts, Abas was also called the father of Dias, Arethusa, Alcon, Canthus[6] (alternatively the son of Canethus and thus, his grandson).
Abas, son of Metaneira who was changed by Demeter into a lizard, because he mocked the goddess when she had come on her wanderings into the house of his mother, and drank eagerly to quench her thirst.[7] Other traditions relate the same story of a boy, Ascalabus, and call his mother Misme.[8]
Abas, a Theban charioteer during the war of the Seven against Thebes. At the beginning of the battle, he is pierced by Pheres with a spear and left groaning for his life.[15]
Abas, servant of King Lycomedes on the island of Scyros. His job was to keep an eye on shipping traffic from the watchtower and to report directly to the king whether ships arrive at the port. When Odysseus came to the island with his ship to persuade Achilles, who was concealed as a girl, to take part in the War against Troy, the dutiful Abas was the first to report to the king that unknown sails were approaching the coast.[17]
Abas, another defender of Troy, was killed by Sthenelus.[18]
In the Aeneid, the name Abas belongs to two companions of Aeneas:
Abas, captain whose ship was routed in the storm off Carthage.[20]
Abas, an Etruscan ally from Populonia in the war against the Rutulians and the Latians.[21] He was later on killed by Lausus, the man who led one thousand soldiers from the town of Agylla.[22]
Publius Papinius Statius, The Thebaid translated by John Henry Mozley. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Stephanus of Byzantium, Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt, edited by August Meineike (1790-1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
This article includes a list of Greek mythological figures with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific Greek mythology article referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended Greek mythology article, if one exists.