OENOPION

a son of Dionysus and husband of the nymph Helice, by whom he became the father of Thalus, Euanthes, Melaa, Salagus, Athamas, and Merope, Aerope or Haero.

Some writers call Oenopion a son of Rhadamanthys by Ariadne, and a brother of Staphylus and Servius also calls him the father of Orion.

From Crete he emigrated with his sons to Chios, which Rhadamanthys had assigned to him as his habitation. While he was king of Chios, he received a visit from the giant Orion, who for a long time sued for the hand of Merope. Once Orion being intoxicated violated Merope, in consequence of which Oenopion blinded him and expelled him from his island. Orion, however, went to Lemnos, where Hephaestus gave to him Cedalion as a guide, or according to others stole a boy whom he carried on his shoulders, and who told him the roads.

Orion was afterwards cured of his blindness, and returned to Chios to take vengeance on Oenopion. But the latter was not to be found in Chios, for his friends had concealed him in the earth, so that Orion, unable to discover him, went to Crete. The tomb of Oenopion continued to be shown at Chios even in the days of Pausanias.