In Greek mythology, Ampyx (Ancient Greek: Ἄμπυξ) or Ampycus (Ἄμπυκος Ampykos means 'woman's diadem, frontlet') was the name of the following figures:

• Ampyx, also called Ampycus or Ampyce^[1] was a seer, the son of Elatus^[2] and possibly of Hippeia from Titaresia which makes him the brother of Polyphemus, Caeneus and Ischys. He fathered Mopsus with the nymph Chloris or Aregonis.^[3] His son Mopsus joined the Argonauts after he was slain.^[4]
• Ampyx, father of the seer Idmon in some texts.^[5] Otherwise, Idmon was called the son of Abas or the god Apollo by Antianeira. Not to be confused with the above-mentioned Ampyx who was the father of another seer, Mopsus.
• Ampyx or Ampycus, an Ethiopian priest of Demeter (Ceres). He appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses^[6] and was slain by Phineus during a fight between Phineus and Perseus (see Boast of Cassiopeia), just before Phineus was turned to stone.
• Ampyx or Amycus, son of Opinion, was one of the Lapiths who fought the centaurs at Pirithous's wedding. Appears in Ovid's Metamorphoses.^[7]
• Ampyx, son of Pelias, descendant of King Amyclas of Laconia. Through his son Areus, Ampyx became the ancestor of Patreus who founded Patrae.^[8]

Other use

• In hair care, an ampyx (ἄμπυξ) is a headband, often made of metal.

Notes

References

• Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Hesiod, Shield of Heracles from The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White, Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• The Orphic Argonautica, translated by Jason Colavito. © Copyright 2011. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.