Alcinous

Also known as: Aleinous · Family: Phaeacian · Role: king · First appears: Book IV 8

Life events

• Alcinous and the Phaeacians welcome the Argonauts with sacrifices and celebration.(Book IV 8 · 📍 Drepane)
  • With: Jason
  • “And Alcinous and his people with kindly sacrifice gladly welcomed their coming”
• Alcinous restrains the Colchians and prevents an immediate battle over Medea.(Book IV 8 · 📍 Drepane)
  • With: Medea Jason
  • “But lordly Alcinous checked them amid their eagerness for war”
• Alcinous decrees Medea will be returned unless married, but protected if she shares Jason’s bed.(Book IV 9)
  • With: Medea Jason
  • “If she be yet a maid I decree that they carry her back to her father; but if she shares a husband’s bed, I will not separate her from her lord”
• Alcinous proclaims Medea’s marriage completed and upholds his judgment despite Aeetes’ wrath.(Book IV 10)
  • With: Medea Aeetes
  • “and the completion of the marriage had been proclaimed, he took care that thus it should abide fixed; and no deadly fear touched him nor Aeetes’ grievous wrath”
• Alcinous receives the Colchians as comrades after they abandon their futile appeal.(Book IV 10)
  • “then they began to dread the threats of their own king and besought Alcinous to receive them as comrades”

Book IV 8

• married with Arete “and often with her hands touched the knees of Arete, the bride of Aleinous”
• protégé: Medea “But lordly Alcinous checked them amid their eagerness for war. For he longed to allay the lawless strife between both sides without the clash of battle.”
• protégé: Jason “And Alcinous and his people with kindly sacrifice gladly welcomed their coming; and over them all the city made merry; thou wouldst say they were rejoicing over their own sons.”

Book IV 9

• married with Arete “Now within the palace in the city, as aforetime, lay lordly Alcinous and Arete, the revered wife of Alcinous”
• protégé: Medea “but if she shares a husband’s bed, I will not separate her from her lord; nor, if she bear a child beneath her breast, will I give it up to an enemy.”
• protégé: Jason “Arete, with arms I could drive forth the Colchians, showing grace to the heroes for the maiden’s sake.”

Book IV 10

• enemies with Aeetes (Aeetes is wrathful toward Alcinous over the judgment concerning Medea.) “and no deadly fear touched him nor Aeetes’ grievous wrath, but he kept his judgement fast bound by unbroken oaths.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.