Cecrops (first king of Athens)
Family: Athenian · Role: king of Athens · First appears: Book 1 · Chapter 2
After Colænus, whom the people of Myrrhinus said ruled Athens before him, Cecrops (first king of Athens) succeeded Actæus as king. He had three daughters, Erse, Aglaurus and Pandrosus, and a son, Erysichthon. On his death, the kingdom passed to Cranaus.
Cecrops (first king of Athens) and Lycaon were thought to be contemporaries, though they did not show equal wisdom toward the deity. He was the first to call Zeus supreme and offered national cakes rather than sacrificing anything that had life.
Relationship record
Book 1 · Chapter 2
- with Actæus (Cecrops succeeded Actæus as king.) “on his death Cecrops succeeded to the kingdom”
- child: Erse “he had three daughters, Erse, and Aglaurus, and Pandrosus, and one son, Erysichthon”
- child: Aglaurus “he had three daughters, Erse, and Aglaurus, and Pandrosus, and one son, Erysichthon”
- child: Pandrosus “he had three daughters, Erse, and Aglaurus, and Pandrosus, and one son, Erysichthon”
- child: Erysichthon “he had three daughters, Erse, and Aglaurus, and Pandrosus, and one son, Erysichthon”
- with Cranaus (Cranaus succeeded Cecrops as king.) “the kingdom of Cecrops fell to Cranaus”
Book 1 · Chapter 31
- with Colænus (Colænus is described as a predecessor of Cecrops.) “Now Colænus is the name of a king who ruled at Athens before Cecrops, according to the tradition of the people of Myrrhinus.”
Book 1 · Chapter 38
- child: Aglaurus “but the son of Hermes by Aglaurus the daughter of Cecrops.”
Book 8 · Chapter 2
- with Lycaon (They were contemporaries.) “And I think that Cecrops, king of Athens, and Lycaon were contemporaries, but did not display equal wisdom to the deity.”
- with Zeus (Cecrops recognized Zeus as supreme.) “For Cecrops was the first to call Zeus supreme, and did not think it right to sacrifice anything that had life, but offered on the altar the national cakes, which the Athenians still call by a special name, (pelani).”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.