The ancients believed that many of there fabulous cities were founded by pioneering heroes and/or heroines of legend, such as Cadmus of Thebes and Dido of Carthage. In Classical mythology, the heroic ethic combined with the Greek ideal of polis, or city-state, to create a variety of dynamic founders who built such celebrated cities such as Athens, Mycenae, Sparta and Thebes.
The Greek polis was an autonomous, independent community of citizens, slaves and foreigners who gathered within and around a fortified city. Each city honored its own hero who was also often its legendary founder, such as Perseus of Mycenae and Lacedaemon of Sparta. Mythic founders were innovative, godlike heroes, guided by destiny and deity to create a fresh, vibrant culture.
Apart from leading a tribe to a bright new land, and building a strong citadel, founders often developed helpful new ways and customs: Cecrops of Athens, for instance, encouraged religious worship, while Cadmus of Thebes introduced an alphabet of 16 Phoenician letters. A city or tribe sometimes honored its founder hero by sharing his name, such as Ilium, named after Ilus, the Trojans after Tros, and Rome after Romulus.
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Illustrated Encyclopedia of Classical Mythology by Arthur Cotterell, page 84.