A mythical Greek King of Thebes, Nycteus, son of Hyrieus, was married to Antiope. Zeus impregnated her and she fled in shame to King Epopeus of Sicyon and abandoned her children, Amphion and Zethus. They were exposed on Mount Cithaeron, but were found and brought up by a shepherd. Nycteus, unable to retrieve his wife, sent his brother Lycus to take her. He did so and gave her as a slave to his own wife, Dirce.
Amphion became a great singer and musician after Hermes taught him to play and gave him a golden lyre, Zethus a hunter and herdsman. They punished King Lycus and Queen Dirce for cruel treatment of Antiope, their mother, who was treated as a slave. Dirce was tied to the horns of a bull as revenge. They built and fortified Thebes, huge blocks of stone forming themselves into walls at the sound of Amphion's lyre. Amphion married Niobe, and killed himself after the loss of his wife and children. Zethus married Aedon, or sometimes Thebe. The brothers were buried in one grave.
At the time when Nycteus 2 was regent in Thebes, the Thessalian Epopeus 1 emigrated to Sicyon and became king of the city.
Nycteus 2 returned to Thebes as a dying man, but before passing away he appointed as his successor his own brother Lycus 5, for Labdacus 1 was still a child.
To Nycteus 2 was entrusted the care of Labdacus 1, still a child, along with the government of Thebes at the death of Polydorus 2.
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