Manto founded the sanctuary; but the one who brought it fame was Mopsus, son of Rhacius and Manto. With him the giving of oracles passed from mother to son — from woman to man. Mopsus inherited kingship from his father and prophecy from his mother.
Apollo charged Mopsus, like a missionary, with founding new cities and oracle centres. Perge, Hierapolis, Mopsuhestia ('Mopsus's Hearth') and Mopsukrene ('Mopsus's Spring') are named after him; even the region of Pamphylia took its name from him and was called 'Mopsopia'. A Perge inscription records him as 'Mopsus, son of Apollo, the founder'.
But is all this mere legend? No. Mopsus is not a mythical but a historical figure. A cuneiform tablet found at Boğazköy and the bilingual Karatepe inscription dated to the 8th century BCE (in Hittite hieroglyphs and Phoenician script) confirm him: at Karatepe, Azatiwada, king of Adana (Danuna), proclaims that he descends from the house of Mopsus. His active period is dated to 1220–1170 BCE.
Thus the founding legend of Klaros touches history upon a stone.
