Tisamĕnus
(
Τισαμενός).
1.
A son of Orestes and Hermioné. He was king of Argos, but was deprived of his
kingdom when the Heraclidae invaded the Peloponnesus. He was slain in a
battle against them, and his tomb was afterwards shown at Helicé, from which place
his remains were subsequently removed to Sparta by command of an oracle (
Paus. ii.18.5;
vii. 1, 3;
Apollod. ii.8.2).
2.
An Elean soothsayer, of the family of the Clytiadae. He was assured by the Delphic Oracle
that he would be successful in five great conflicts. Supposing this to be a promise of
distinction as an athlete, he devoted himself to gymnastic exercises; but the Spartans,
understanding the oracle to refer, not to gymnastic, but to military victories, made great
offers to Tisamenus to induce him to take with their kings the joint command of their armies.
This he refused to do on any terms short of receiving the full franchise of their city, which
the Spartans eventually granted. He was present with the Spartans at the battle of Plataea,
B.C. 379, which was the first of the five conflicts referred to by the oracle. The second was
with the Argives and Tegeans at Tegea; the third, with the Arcadians at Dipaea; the fourth
was the Third Messenian War (465-455); and the last was the battle of Tanagra, with the
Athenians and their allies, in 457 (
Herod.ix. 33-36).