Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
, Phegeus ( grc, Φηγέως) was the king of
Psophis
Psophis (Ancient Greek: , '' Eth.'' ) was an ancient Greek city in the northwest end of Arcadia, bounded on the north by Arcadia, and on the west by Elis. It was located near the modern village Psofida, part of the municipality Kalavryta.
City ...
in Arcadia who purified Alcmaeon after the murder of his own mother,
Eriphyle
Eriphyle (Ancient Greek: Ἐριφύλη ''Eriphȳla'') was a figure in Greek mythology who, in exchange for the necklace of Harmonia (also called the necklace of Eriphyle) given to her by Polynices, persuaded her husband Amphiaraus to join the ...
. The town of Phegeia, which had before been called Erymanthus, was believed to have derived its name from him. Subsequently, however, it was changed again into Psophis.
Family
Phegeus was the son of river-god Alpheus. He is said to have been the father of
Alphesiboea
Alphesiboea (Ancient Greek: Ἀλφεσιβοίας) was the name of several characters in Greek mythology:
*Alphesiboea, mother of Adonis with Phoenix.
*Alphesiboea, a Psophian princess as the daughter of King Phegeus in Arcadia. She was the sis ...
,
Temenus
In Greek mythology, Temenus ( el, Τήμενος, ''Tḗmenos'') was a son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Aristodemus.
Temenus was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the ...
and
Axion
An axion () is a hypothetical elementary particle postulated by the Peccei–Quinn theory in 1977 to resolve the strong CP problem in quantum chromodynamics (QCD). If axions exist and have low mass within a specific range, they are of interes ...
Agenor
Agenor (; Ancient Greek: Ἀγήνωρ or Αγήνορας ''Agēnor''; English language, English translation: "heroic, manly") was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician monarch, king of Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre or Sidon. The Dorians, Doric Gr ...
.
Pseudo-Apollodorus
The ''Bibliotheca'' (Ancient Greek: grc, Βιβλιοθήκη, lit=Library, translit=Bibliothēkē, label=none), also known as the ''Bibliotheca'' of Pseudo-Apollodorus, is a compendium of Greek myths and heroic legends, arranged in three book ...
Erinyes
The Erinyes ( ; sing. Erinys ; grc, Ἐρινύες, pl. of ), also known as the Furies, and the Eumenides, were female chthonic deities of vengeance in ancient Greek religion and mythology. A formulaic oath in the ''Iliad'' invokes ...
of his mother's murder, and afflicted with madness he left his country and came to Psophis. There Phegeus offered him succor and gave him his daughter Arsinoe or Alphesiboea, who received from Alcmaeon, as a wedding present, the robe and necklace of Harmonia. However, because of his crime, the ground became barren in Psophis and an oracle told Alcmaeon to depart to
Achelous
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Achelous (also Acheloos or Acheloios) (; Ancient Greek: Ἀχελώϊος, and later , ''Akhelôios'') was the god associated with the Achelous River, the largest river in Greece. According to Hesiod, he ...
and to stand another trial on the river bank. So he went to the springs of Achelous, and was purified by him, receiving river-gods' daughter
Callirrhoe Callirrhoe (, grc, Καλλιρρόη; also Callirhoe) may refer to:
* Callirhoe (mythology), several figures in Greek mythology, including:
** Callirrhoe (Oceanid), daughter of Oceanus and Tethys
** Callirrhoe (daughter of Achelous)
* Callirrhoe ...
to wife. After some time, Callirrhoe told Alcmaeon that she would not live with him if she did not get the robe and necklace of Harmonia, which now were owned by his first wife Arsinoe. Alcmaeon then went to Psophis and told Phegeus that it had been predicted that he should be rid of his madness when he had brought the robe and necklace to
Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), in ancient times was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world. The oracle ...
and dedicated them. Phegeus believing him, gave the said jewelry and clothing but a servant disclosed that his son-in-law was taking these belongings to Callirrhoe. So the sons of Phegeus, Pronous and
Agenor
Agenor (; Ancient Greek: Ἀγήνωρ or Αγήνορας ''Agēnor''; English language, English translation: "heroic, manly") was in Greek mythology and history a Phoenician monarch, king of Tyre, Lebanon, Tyre or Sidon. The Dorians, Doric Gr ...
or
Temenus
In Greek mythology, Temenus ( el, Τήμενος, ''Tḗmenos'') was a son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Aristodemus.
Temenus was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the ...
and Axion, following their father's orders, waited for Alcmaeon in an ambush and killed him. According to
Hyginus
Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Grammatic ...
, Phegeus himself killed his own son-in-law and also his granddaughter, the daughter of Alphesiboea.
Hyginus
Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Grammatic ...
. ''Fabulae, 244''
When Callirrhoe learned that she was a widow she requested of
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label=Genitive case, genitive Aeolic Greek, Boeotian Aeolic and Doric Greek#Laconian, Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label=Genitive case, genitive el, Δίας, ''D ...
that the sons she had by Alcmaeon might be full-grown in order to avenge their father's murder. And Zeus, who at the time courted her, granted her wish. So when Pronous and Agenor, carrying the robe and necklace (which they intended to dedicate at Delphi), arrived at the house of
Agapenor
In Greek mythology, Agapenor ( grc, Ἀγαπήνωρ, ''gen.'' Ἀγαπήνορος means 'much distress') was a leader of the Arcadians in the Trojan war.
Family
Agapenor was a son of Ancaeus, and grandson of Lycurgus.
Mythology
As kin ...
they met the suddenly grown-up children of Alcmaeon and Callirrhoe, Amphoterus and
Acarnan
In Greek mythology, Acarnan (Ancient Greek: Ἀκαρνάν; ''genitive'' Ἀκαρνᾶνος derived from ἀκαρνάν ''akarnan'' 'laurel' or 'thistle') was the name of these two characters:
* Acarnan, son of Alcmaeon and Callirrhoe.
* Aca ...
, who happened to arrive at the same time. The sons of Alcmaeon killed on the spot their father's murderers and afterwards going to Psophis they slew both Phegeus and his wife in their palace.