Rhadamanthus

A painting of Rhadamanthus

**Rhadamanthus** (also spelled Rhadimanthos) **I**, also known as **Rhadamanthus the Unifier** and simply **Rhadamanthus**, was the first king of the historical Kingdom of Elysium (also known as Old Elysium). He is said to have ruled for 47 a*tus*, which was the main unit of time measurement used by the ancient Elysians. 19 of these atus were after the unification of Elysium. In Elysian mythology, Rhadamanthus is said to have been a demigod, being the son of Zeus and Europa. After his death, Rhadamanthus was made a full god by Zeus himself, for his accomplishments during life. Rhadamanthus is today known as the Elysian God of justice and legislation, and is one of the central deities of the Elysian pantheon.

## Reign

The actual reality of Rhadamanthus' rule is obscure, with little surviving documents from that time surviving to the modern day. While no contemporary recordings of his rule survive, some writings from the time of his grandson's rule do. The most well-known and most completely translated of these is the *Historiaes Elysea (In Modern Elysian: Historie di Elysia)*, written by the great Elysian poet and historian Aeoles.

As the old Elysian civilization used a different format for dating than the modern format of ND, it is unknown exactly how long ago Rhadamanthus ruled. The *Historiaes Elysea* records Rhadamanthus' reign of a unified Elysium as lasting from 0 AR (which roughly translates to "0 years since the reign of Rhadamanthus') to 19 AR. Estimates for a date of Rhadamanthus' unification of Elysium in a modern format range from 4,500 to 5,000 ND ago.

### Election to Amorian throne

As a young Elysian noble, Rhadamanthus received education on many topics. When he turned 21 or 22, Rhadamanthus became a lawmaker for the Kingdom of Amoria, one of the pre-unification nations in Elysium. After the death of Amoria's king Gerasios in 28 BR, Rhadamanthus was elected King by the Council of the Wise, the advisory council of the kings of Amoria. During his early reign in Amoria, Rhadamanthus let the Council do most day-to-day leadership, while he created new institutions, like a unified schooling system, and rearranged existing ones, like the Amorian military.

### Attican War

When Rhadamanthus ascended to the Amorian throne in 28 BR, the kingdom was in the midst of the Attican War, in which Amoria's main rival, the Kingdom of Cadmia, attempted to invade and subjugate Amoria and its allies. Rhadamanthus served as a general in multiple battles during the Attican War and, after ascending to the Amorian throne, led the successful siege and capture of Cadmia's capital city, Cadimos, securing an Amorian victory in the war. The end of this war marks a major turning point in Rhadamanthus' rule, at which point he began to be seen by Elysians outside of Amoria as a talented ruler and lawmaker.

### Respius' War and acquisition of Pholoe

Rhadamanthus led the Amorian army in a conflict between the Pholoeans and the Atkians in 20 BR, in which King Respius of Atkos was attempting to secure the Pholoean throne after the death of the Pholoean Prince Pacamas. Amoria, under Rhadamanthus' leadership, supported the Pholoeans. With Amorian assistance, Pholoe finally defeated Atkos in 17 BR, and the Pholoean general Partus was put on the Pholoean throne. When Partus fell ill with an unknown disease later that same atus, he named Rhadamanthus his eventual successor. Rhadamanthus inherited the Kingdom of Pholoe after Partus' death in 16 BR.