In Greek mythology, Iamus was the son of Apollo and Evadne, a daughter of Poseidon, raised by Aepytus. She loved Apollo and by him she became pregnant, but was shamed by Aepytus for her pregnancy. When it was time for the childbirth, Apollo sent down Eileithyia and the Moirai (Fates) to assist Evadne.[1] After giving birth, she unwillingly abandoned the child in the wild and went back. The child survived, as he was nourished by some honeybees sent by Apollo, or the Fates. When Aepytus learnt from the Delphic Oracle that the new born was sired by Apollo himself and was destined to be a great prophet, he ordered to bring the child back into the house. The infant was found alive lying among violets, and was named Iamus (from ίον, "violet") by Evadne.
When he reached his youth, Iamus descended into the waters of Alpheios and invoked Poseidon, his grandfather, and Apollo, his father, asking them to reveal his destiny to him. Only Apollo answered his prayer, and appearing to him, took him to Olympia. There, Apollo taught him the art of prophecy and gave him the power to understand and explain the voices of birds. Iamus later founded the Iamidae, a family of priests from Olympia.[2][3]
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Further reading
- Salvador, Jesús A. "Iamus and ἴα in Pindar ("O". 6, 53-57)", Quaderni Urbinati Di Cultura Classica 56, no. 2 (1997): 37-59. doi:10.2307/20547394. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/20547394.