Very briefly, Amphitryon was a grandson of Perseus. He married his cousin Alcmene, who demanded he a
Very briefly, Amphitryon was a grandson of Perseus. He married his cousin Alcmene, who demanded he avenge her brothers’ deaths at the hands of the Teleboans. While Amphitryon was at war, Zeus assumed Amphitryon’s form and slept with Alcmene. Upon his return, Amphitryon was confused when his wife recounted the night they had spent together.So how did his name end up meaning “host” in French and in Spanish?Apparently Molière wrote a comedy called “Amphitryon” first performed in 1668. It was based on Plautus’s version of the myth. In Molière’s play, when Amphitryon arrives home from the war to find everyone at dinner and an impostor bearing his form, he is shocked and indignant. Then Sosias, his servant, offers a solution saying that “Le veritable Amphitryon est l'Amphitryon où l'on dîne” (meaning “The real Amphitryon is the Amphitryon who gives dinners.”). So, our real host is the one who gives us dinners. -- source link
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