Macedonia (ancient kingdom)
The Classical Greek historians Herodotus and Thucydides reported the legend that the Macedonian kings of the Argead dynasty were descendants of Temenus, king of Argos, and could therefore claim the mythical Heracles as one of their ancestors as well as a direct lineage from Zeus, chief god of the Greek pantheon. Contradictory legends state that either Perdiccas I of Macedon or Caranus of Macedon were the founders of the Argead dynasty, with either five or eight kings before AmyntasI. The assertion that the Argeads descended from Temenus was accepted by the "Hellanodikai" authorities of the Ancient Olympic Games, permitting Alexander I of Macedon () to enter the competitions owing to his perceived Greek heritage. Little is known about the kingdom before the reign of AlexanderI's father Amyntas I of Macedon () during the Archaic period.
Phthonus
In Greek mythology, Phthonus (, "Phthónos") was the personification of jealousy and envy, especially in matters of love. He was said to be the counterpart of Nemesis. However, his power influenced not only himself and mortals, but also the gods as well (most famously Hera). It was he that directed Hera's attention to Zeus' many affairs, including one of his most famous, that with the Theban princess Semele. He also put the thought into Hera's mind to trick Semele into convincing Zeus into showing Semele his full glory, which killed her.