In Greek mythology, Aeacus was described as the king of island Aegina and the son of Zeus and Aegina, a daughter of the river-god Asopus. Aeacus was born on the island of Oenone or Oenopia, to which Aegina had been carried by Zeus it the guise of eagle. Latter the island was named Aegina. Aeacus was alone in the island, and since a territory without human beings was worthless for any man living in it, to put an end to that solitude Zeus turned the ants of the island into men. And when human beings were added to the land, Aeacus could become king.
In other version, island Aegina was not uninhabited at the time of the birth of Aeacus,but jealous Hera, punished the island that had been named after her husband's mistress (Aegina). So a plague fell upon Aegina, attacking first the animals and then the human beings. This epidemic had such proportions that almost no one was left alive, and the dead bodies were so many that no one cared to bury them. It was then that Aeacus prayed to Zeus under an oak. Then the ants turned into men, first in Aeacus' dream that night, but later in reality, for on the following day he could see them with his waking eyes as they came greeting him as king. And because of his prayer and his dream he called them Myrmidons, deriving this name from the word "ant".
Aeacus married first Endeis, and had by her two sons, Peleus and Telamon . Then Aeacus married the Nereid Psamathe, who turned herself into a seal in an attempt to avoid him, and had by her a son Phocus. During his rule, Aeacus fortified Aegina, making the island difficult to approach, surrounding it by sunken rocks and reefs. Aeacus became famous for his wisdom, even Zeus would listen to him alone. Aeacus was known for settling disputes even for the gods.
In some versions, Apollo and Poseidon took Aeacus as their assistant in building the walls of Troy. When the work was completed, three dragons immediately attacked the city. The two that attacked Poseidon's and Apollo's walls fell down dead almost after they banged into the fortifications, but the third one was able to break through Aeacus' wall and get into the city. When Apollo had seen this, he predicted that it would be through the hands of a descendant of Aeacus that Troy would be destroyed.
In some versions, after Aeacus death, he became (along with the Rhadamanthus and Minos) one of the three judges in underworld.
INDEX
.jpg) |
| Aeacus and Myrmidons |
In other version, island Aegina was not uninhabited at the time of the birth of Aeacus,but jealous Hera, punished the island that had been named after her husband's mistress (Aegina). So a plague fell upon Aegina, attacking first the animals and then the human beings. This epidemic had such proportions that almost no one was left alive, and the dead bodies were so many that no one cared to bury them. It was then that Aeacus prayed to Zeus under an oak. Then the ants turned into men, first in Aeacus' dream that night, but later in reality, for on the following day he could see them with his waking eyes as they came greeting him as king. And because of his prayer and his dream he called them Myrmidons, deriving this name from the word "ant".
Aeacus married first Endeis, and had by her two sons, Peleus and Telamon . Then Aeacus married the Nereid Psamathe, who turned herself into a seal in an attempt to avoid him, and had by her a son Phocus. During his rule, Aeacus fortified Aegina, making the island difficult to approach, surrounding it by sunken rocks and reefs. Aeacus became famous for his wisdom, even Zeus would listen to him alone. Aeacus was known for settling disputes even for the gods.
In some versions, Apollo and Poseidon took Aeacus as their assistant in building the walls of Troy. When the work was completed, three dragons immediately attacked the city. The two that attacked Poseidon's and Apollo's walls fell down dead almost after they banged into the fortifications, but the third one was able to break through Aeacus' wall and get into the city. When Apollo had seen this, he predicted that it would be through the hands of a descendant of Aeacus that Troy would be destroyed.
In some versions, after Aeacus death, he became (along with the Rhadamanthus and Minos) one of the three judges in underworld.
INDEX
No comments:
Post a Comment