MOPSUS (fab. hist.), a celebrated prophet, son of Manto and Apollo during the Trojan war. He was consulted by Amphimachus, king of Colophon, who wished to know what success would attend his arms in a war which he was going to undertake. He predicted the greatest calamities; but Calchas, who had been a soothsayer of the Greeks during the Trojan war, promised the greatest successes. Amphimachus followed the opinion of Calchas; but the prediction of Mopsus was fully verified. This had such an effect upon Calchas, that he died soon after. His death
is attributed by some to another mortification of the same nature. The two soothsayers, jealous of each other's fame, came to a trial of their skill in divination. Calchas first asked his antagonist, how many figs a neighbouring tree bore? 10,000 except one, replied Mopfus, and one single vessel can contain them all. The figs were gathered, and his conjectures were true. Mopfus now, to try his adversary, asked him how many young ones a certain pregnant sow would bring forth? Calchas confessed his ignorance; and Mopfus immediately said that the sow would bring forth on the morrow ten young ones, of which only one should be a male, all black, and that the females should all be known by their white streaks. The morrow proved the veracity of his prediction; and Calchas died by excess of the grief which his defeat produced. Mopfus after death was ranked among the gods, and had an oracle at Malia, celebrated for the true and decisive answers which it gave—Another Mopfus, son of Ampyx and Chloris, born at Titaressa in Thessaly. He was the prophet and soothsayer of the Argonauts, and died at his return from Colchis by the bite of a serpent in Libya. Jason erected him a monument on the sea-shore, where afterwards the Africans built him a temple where he gave oracles. He has often been confounded with the son of Manto, as their professions and their names were alike.