Ares sacred spring

Cadmus and the Founding of Thebes in Greek Mythology

Cadmus and the founding of Thebes lies at the heart of one of Greek mythology’s most enduring foundation stories, in which a Phoenician prince becomes the legendary builder of a major Boeotian city. His quest, the dragon he defeats, and the divine and dynastic consequences that follow reveal how the myth explains Thebes’s origins, cultural ties, and tragic royal legacy.