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The oldest Greek legendary physician, known even to Homer as an ancient personage, was Melampus. Among his patients was Iphiclus whom he cured of impotence.
Melampus, son of Amythaon, lived in Pylus, in the country. Before his house stood an oak tree, the lair of snakes. Melampus gave human burial to a pair of snakes that his servants had killed; the young ones he carefully reared. In gratitude they licked his ears one night as he slept and thereafter he could understand the language of animals, particularly of birds. He became a famous seer and leech, a disciple of Apollo.1
Melampus had a younger brother, Bias, who wished to marry his cousin Pero, daughter of Neleus, king of Pylus. The effort to aid Bias's suit brought Iphiclus to Melampus as a patient. Homer2 relates the bare outline of the story which is supplemented by two later writers.3
To keep off the horde of suitors for Pero's hand, Neleus, 'haughtiest of living men', demanded as a proviso from his daughter's successful suitor the cattle of Iphiclus which he claimed had been stolen from his mother Tyro by Iphiclus; some accounts say by Phylacus, father of Iphiclus. The cows were now kept in Phylace, in Thessaly, guarded by a dreadful dog which neither man nor beast could approach. Of the suitors, Bias alone tried to restore the cattle. After an unsuccessful attempt he appealed to his famous brother, Melampus, for help.
Although by his prophetic powers Melampus foresaw that