Æacus
Family: Ægina · Role: arbitrator · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 39
In Book 1, Æacus arbitrated the dispute between Sciron and Nisus, assigning the kingdom to Nisus and his descendants and the command of the army to Sciron. During a great drought, he prayed to Zeus at Ægina, and the drought ended.
When grown up, Æacus asked Zeus for settlers, and Zeus produced men from the soil. Later, as drought struck Greece, Æacus’s sacrifices and prayers brought rain. He is also said to have erected Zeus’s temple on Pan-Hellenium. In Book 2, he refused Telamon permission to land; Telamon built a mole, was convicted of Phocus’s death, and returned to Salamis. Peleus and Telamon are also said to have fled because of Phocus’s murder.
By Book 3, Pyrrhus was identified as Æacus’s grandson; in Book 6, the text calls Pyrrhus the son of Æacus. In Book 10, Phocus, son of Æacus, was named as the founder of Drymæa, originally called Nauboles.
Relationship record
Book 1 · Chapter 39
- with Sciron (Æacus acted as arbitrator in the dispute.) “Æacus was arbitrator, and gave his decision that the kingdom was to belong to Nisus and his descendants, but the command of the army was to devolve upon Sciron.”
- with Nisus (Æacus awarded the kingdom to Nisus and his descendants.) “Æacus was arbitrator, and gave his decision that the kingdom was to belong to Nisus and his descendants, but the command of the army was to devolve upon Sciron.”
Book 1 · Chapter 42
- child: Telamon “Telamon the son of Æacus married Peribœa the daughter of Alcathous.”
Book 1 · Chapter 44
- with Zeus (Æacus prayed to Zeus.) “Æacus in obedience to the oracle prayed to Pan-Hellenian Zeus at Ægina”
- with Zeus (Æacus prayed to Zeus, who removed the drought.) “Æacus in obedience to the oracle prayed to Pan-Hellenian Zeus at Ægina, he took it away and removed it”
Book 2 · Chapter 29
- child: Peleus “for we know of none of the sons of Æacus continuing there, for Peleus and Telamon had to flee for the murder of Phocus”
- child: Telamon “for we know of none of the sons of Æacus continuing there, for Peleus and Telamon had to flee for the murder of Phocus”
- parent: Zeus (The passage presents Zeus as Æacus's progenitor.) “when Æacus was grown up he asked of Zeus for settlers”
Book 2 · Chapter 30
- with Zeus (Æacus erected the temple of Zeus.) “the temple of Zeus, which they say Æacus erected.”
Book 3 · Chapter 6
- younger kin: Pyrrhus (son of Æacides) “Pyrrhus the grandson of Æacus”
- with Pyrrhus (son of Æacides) (Æacus is identified as Pyrrhus's grandfather.) “Pyrrhus the grandson of Æacus”
Book 6 · Chapter 3
- child: Pyrrhus (son of Æacides) “when Pyrrhus the son of Æacus and the Tarentines were at war with the Romans”
Book 10 · Chapter 1
- child: Phocus (son of Æacus) “Phocus the son of Æacus crossed over there in their ships.”
Book 10 · Chapter 30
- child: Phocus (son of Æacus) “When Phocus, the son of Æacus, crossed over from Ægina to the country now called Phocis”
Book 10 · Chapter 33
- child: Phocus (son of Æacus) (Æacus is Phocus's father.) “It was originally called Nauboles, and its founder was they say Phocus the son of Æacus”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.