Lycaon
Family: Arcadians · Role: king · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 3.8
🌐 Also appears in: The Iliad (as Lycaon) · The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Lycaon)
Lycaon was a king of the Arcadians, described as the son of Pelasgus and Meliboea, or, in another account, of the nymph Cyllene. He had fifty sons, including Melaeneus, Thesprotus, Helix, Nyctimus, Peucetius, Caucon, Mecisteus, Hopleus, Macareus, Macednus, Horus, Polichus, Acontes, Evaemon, Ancyor, Archebates, Carteron, Aegaeon, Pallas, Eumon, Canethus, Prothous, Linus, Coretho, Maenalus, Teleboas, Physius, Phassus, Phthius, Lycius, Halipherus, Genetor, Bucolion, Socleus, Phineus, Eumetes, Harpaleus, Portheus, Plato, Haemo, Cynaethus, Leo, Harpalycus, Heraeeus, Titanas, Mantineus, Clitor, Stymphalus, and Orchomenus, as well as a daughter, Callisto.
With Maenalus among them, Lycaon and his sons offered hospitality, slaughtered a native male child, and mixed the child’s bowels with the sacrifices before setting them out. At Trapezus, Zeus overturned the table and struck Lycaon and his sons with thunderbolts, sparing only Nyctimus, “the youngest.” Another account names Pandarus as a son of Lycaon; Achilles was his enemy and captured him by night when he took the city.
Relationship record
Life events
- Lycaon and his sons slaughtered a native male child and mixed his bowels with the sacrifices.(Apollodorus, Library 3.8)
- With: Maenalus
- “They offered him hospitality and having slaughtered a male child of the natives, they mixed his bowels with the sacrifices, and set them before him, at the instigation of the elder brother Maenalus.”
- Zeus blasted Lycaon and his sons with thunderbolts, sparing only Nyctimus.(Apollodorus, Library 3.8 · 📍 Trapezus)