In
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...
, the name Polycaon (;
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
: Πολυκάων means "much-burning") may refer to the following individuals:
*Polycaon, son of
Lelex In Greek mythology, Lelex (; Ancient Greek: Λέλεξ, ''gen.'' Λέλεγος) may refer to the following personages:
*Lelex (king of Sparta), the first king of Sparta.
* Lelex (king of Megara), king of Megara.
* Lelex, one of the Calydonian hun ...
, king of
Laconia
Laconia or Lakonia (, , ) is a historical and Administrative regions of Greece, administrative region of Greece located on the southeastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. Its administrative capital is Sparti (municipality), Sparta. The word ...
, by the
Naiad
In Greek mythology, the naiads (; ), sometimes also hydriads, are a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water.
They are distinct from river gods, who embodied ...
nymph
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
,
Cleochareia. Polycaon married an ambitious woman named
Messene
Messene (Greek language, Greek: Μεσσήνη 𐀕𐀼𐀙 ''Messini''), officially Ancient Messene, is a local community within the regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') of Messenia in the region (''perifereia'') of Peloponnese (region), P ...
, daughter of King
Triopas
In Greek mythology, Triopas () or Triops (; , gen.: Τρίοπος) was the name of several characters whose relations are unclear.
* Triopas, king of Argos and son of Phorbas. His daughter was Messene.
* Triopas, king of Thessaly, and son of Po ...
, of
Argos
Argos most often refers to:
* Argos, Peloponnese, a city in Argolis, Greece
* Argus (Greek myth), several characters in Greek mythology
* Argos (retailer), a catalogue retailer in the United Kingdom
Argos or ARGOS may also refer to:
Businesses
...
. After his father's death, his brother
Myles
In Greek mythology, Myles (; Ancient Greek: Μύλης means 'mill-man') was an ancient king of Laconia. He was the son of the King Lelex and possibly the naiad Queen Cleocharia, and brother of Polycaon. Myles was the father of Eurotas who begott ...
inherited the throne of Laconia. Messene, not wanting to be the wife of a simple
anonymous
Anonymous may refer to:
* Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown
** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author
* Anonym ...
man, collected an armed force from both Argos and Laconia. The newly married couple invaded the territory of which would be named after Polycaon's wife,
Messenia
Messenia or Messinia ( ; ) is a regional unit (''perifereiaki enotita'') in the southwestern part of the Peloponnese region, in Greece. Until the implementation of the Kallikratis plan on 1 January 2011, Messenia was a prefecture (''nomos' ...
. After establishing the newly conquered kingdom, they founded the city
Andania
Andania () is a former municipality in Messenia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform, it has been a municipal unit of the municipality of Oichalia. The municipal unit has an area of 88.694 km2. Population 1,820 (202 ...
, where they built their palace.
*Polycaon, son of
Butes
In Greek mythology, the name Butes (; Ancient Greek: Βούτης, ''Boútēs'') referred to several different people.
*Butes, an Athenian prince as the son of King Pandion I and the naiad Zeuxippe. He was a priest of Poseidon and Athena and was ...
. He married
Evaechme In Greek mythology, the name Evaechme, Euaechme or Euaichme (Ancient Greek: Εὐαίχμη) may refer to:
*Evaechme, a Megarian princess as daughter of King Megareus and Iphinoe, daughter of King Nisus, thus sister of Evippus and Timalcus. S ...
, daughter of
Hyllus
In Greek mythology, Hyllus (; Ancient Greek: Ὕλλος, ''Hyllos'') or Hyllas (Ὕλλᾱς, ''Hyllas'') was a son of Heracles and Deianira and the husband of Iole.
Mythology
Heracles, whom Zeus had originally intended to be ruler of Arg ...
and
Iole
In Greek mythology, Iole (; ) was the daughter of King Eurytus of Oechalia. According to the brief epitome in the ''Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus), Bibliotheca'', Eurytus had a beautiful young daughter named Iole who was eligible for marriage ...
(thus a granddaughter of
Heracles
Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...
).
[Pausanias]
4.2.1
/ref>
Notes
References
* Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
* Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903.
Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library
{{Greek myth index
Princes in Greek mythology
Kings in Greek mythology
Laconian mythology
Messenian mythology