Rhadamæi

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

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Rhadamæi was an Arabian tribe mentioned by Pliny.

Variants

• Rhadamanthus (Anabasis by Arrian, p. 425.)
• Rhadamæi (Pliny.vi.32)
• Rhadamanthus (Pliny.vi.32)

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Rahad = Rhadamæi (Pliny.vi.32).

Jat Gotras Namesake

• Rahad = Rhadamanthus (Anabasis by Arrian, p. 425.)

Mention by Pliny

Pliny mentions Arabia..... Next comes a town, fourteen miles distant, called Marippa, and belonging to the Palamaces, a place by no means to be overlooked, and then Carnon. The Rhadamæi also—these too are supposed to derive their origin⁵² from Rhadamanthus, the brother of Minos—the Homeritæ⁵³, with their city of Masala⁵⁴, the Hamirei, the Gedranitæ, the Amphyræ,...

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52 A story as probable, Hardouin observes, as that about the descendants of Minos.

53 The Arabs of Yemen, known in Oriental history by the name of Himyari, were called by the Greeks Homeritæ.

54 An inland city, called Masthala by Ptolemy.

Rhadamanthus

In Greek mythology, Rhadamanthus (/ˌrædəˈmænθəs/) or Rhadamanthys (Ancient Greek: Ῥαδάμανθυς) was a wise king of Crete. As the son of Zeus and Europa he was considered a demigod. He later became one of the judges of the dead and an important figure in Greek mythology. His name, whose etymology is obscure, was later used to allude to persons showing stern and inflexible judgement

Rhadamanthus was, according to mythology, the son of Zeus and Europa and brother to Sarpedon and Minos (also a king and later a judge of the dead). Together with his brother, Rhadamanthus was raised by Asterion, their stepfather. He had two sons, Gortys (associated with Gortyn, Crete) and Erythrus (founder of Erythrae).

Other sources (e.g. Plutarch, Theseus 20) credit Rhadamanthys rather than Dionysus as the husband of Ariadne, and the father of Oenopion, Staphylus and Thoas. In this account, Ariadne was the daughter of Minos, Rhadamanthys' brother; another Ariadne was the daughter of Minos's grandson and namesake, who features in Theseus's legend and was rescued by Dionysus.