Alcathous
Frieze-Dennison Vergil
- son of Pelops, founder of Megara, which was hence called Alcathoi urbs, Ov. M. 8, 8.
(Ἀλκάθοος).
1. A son of Pelops and Hippodameia, brother of Atreus and Thyestes, first married Pyrgo and afterwards Euaechme, and was the father of Echepolis, Callipolis, Iphinoe, Periboea, and Autonmedusa. (Paus. 1.42.1, 4, 43.4; Apollod. 2.4.11, 3.12.7.) Pausanias (1.41.4) relates that, after Euippus, the son of king Megareus, was destroyed by the Cythacronian lion, Megareus, whose elder son Timalcus had likewise fallen by the hands of Theseus, offered his daughter Euaechme and his kingdom to him who should slay that lion. Alcathous undertook the task, conquered the lion, and thus obtained Euaechme for his wife, and afterwards became the successor of Megarcus. In gratitude for this success, he built at Megara a temple of Artemis Agrotera and Apollo Agraeus. He also restored the walls of Megara, which had been destroyed by the Cretans. (Paus. 1.41.5.) In this work he was said to have been assisted by Apollo, and the stone, upon which the god used to place his lyre while he was at work, was even in late times believed, when struck, to give forth a sound similar to that of a lyres. 1.4.1 ; Ov. Met. 8.15, &c.; Virg. Cir. 105; Theogn. 751.) Echepolis, one of the sons of Alcathous, was killed during the Calydonian hunt in Aetolia, and when his brother Callipolis hastened to carry the sad tidings to his father, he found him engaged in offering a sacrifice to Apollo, and thinking it unfit to offer sacrifices at such a moment, he snatched away the wood from the altar. Alcathous imagining this to be an act of sacrilegious wantonness, killed his son oi the spot with a piece of wood. (Paus. 1.42.7.) The acropolis of Megara was called by a name derived for that of Alcathous. (1.42.7.)
2. A son of Porthaon and Euryte, who was slain by Tydeus. (Apollod. 1.7.10, 8.5 ; Diod. 4.65.)
3. A son of Aesyetes and husband of Hippodameia, the daughter of Anchises and sister of Aeneas, who was educated in his house. (Hom. Il. 13.466.) In the war of Troy he was one of the Trojan leaders, and was one of the handsosmest and bravest among them. (Il. 12.93, 13.427.) He was slain by Idomeneus with the assistance of Poseidon, who struck Alcathous with blindness and paralyzed his limbs so that he could not flee. (Il. 13.433, &c.)--Another personage of this name is mentioned by Virgil, Aen. 10.747. [L.S]
(Ἀλκάθοος). The son of Pelops and Hippodamia, who obtained as his wife Evaechmé, the daughter of Megareus, by slaying the Cithaeronian lion, and succeeded his father-in-law as king of Megara. He restored the walls of Megara, which is therefore sometimes called Alcathoé by the poets. In this work he was assisted by Apollo. The stone upon which the god used to place his lyre while he was at work was believed, even in late times, to give forth a sound, when struck, similar to that of a lyre.
- slays lion and succeeds to throne of Megara: Paus. 1.41.3-6
- rebuilds walls of Megara: Paus. 1.41.6, Paus. 1.42.1, 2
- sends Periboea to Crete: Paus. 1.42.2
- slays his son Callipolis: Paus. 1.42.6
- purified for murder of his son: Paus. 1.43.5
- acropolis of Megara called after him: Paus. 1.42.1
- his shrine used as record-office: Paus. 1.43.4
- Apollod. 1.7.7
- suitor of Hippodamia: Paus. 6.20.17, Paus. 6.21.10
- killed by Tydeus: Apollod. 1.8.3