Pandareus

The son of Merops of Miletus, husband of Harmothoe and father of Aëdon. Pandareus stole a living golden dog, which Hephaestus had made, from the temple of Zeus in Crete, and, carrying it to Mount Sipylus in Lydia, gave it to Tantalus to take care of. But afterwards, when Pandareus demanded the dog back, Tantalus took an oath that he had never received him. Zeus thereupon changed Pandareus into a stone, and threw Tantalus down from Mount Sipylus. It is also said that Zeus sent Hermes to claim the dog and after being refused took the animal by force and threw Mount Sipylus upon Tantalus.

Pandareus fled to Athens, and thence to Sicily where he perished with his wife. Of his other two daughters, Merope and Cleodora (or Camira and Clytea), Homer¹ relates that they were brought up by Aphrodite after their early bereavement. Hera furthermore endowed them with beauty and wisdom, Artemis with lofty stature, and Athena with skill in handiwork. While Aphrodite went to Olympus to implore Zeus to grant the maidens happy marriages, they were carried off by the Harpies, and delivered to the Erinyes as servants, and thus expiated their father's guilt.

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