In
Greek mythology,
Labdacus was the only son of
Polydorus and a king of
Thebes. Labdacus was a grandson of Thebes' founder,
Cadmus. His mother was Nycteis, daughter of
Nycteus. Polydorus died while Labdacus was a young child, leaving Nycteus as his regent, although
Lycus soon replaced him in that office. When Labdacus had grown, he ruled Thebes for a short time. He died while he was still young, after he lost a war with the king of
Athens,
Pandion, over their borders. Apollodorus writes that he, like his cousin
Pentheus, was ripped apart by women in a
bacchic frenzy for disrespect to the god
Dionysus. Lycus became regent once more after his death, this time for Labdacus' son,
Laius. His descendants were called the
Labdacids, and included his son
Laius, who fathered
Oedipus; Oedipus' children were
Polynices,
Eteocles,
Antigone, and
Ismene.
