In
Greek mythology,
Mecisteus was the son of
Talaus and
Lysimache. He participated in the attack on the city of
Thebes with the
Seven Against Thebes, along with his brother
Adrastus. In
Aeschylus' tragedy
Seven Against Thebes, Mecisteus is not among the seven champions who attack the seven gates of Thebes. The
Bibliotheca, however, gives one version of the legend in which he replaces
Tydeus as one of the seven.
Herodotus also writes that he was one of the attackers, although whether one of the seven champions or simply another leader is not made clear. In the
Iliad, Mecisteus attends the funeral games of
Oedipus at Thebes, and wins all the boxing matches.
