Alcmaeon
Family: Argos · Role: hero · First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.8
🌐 Also appears in: Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romans (as Alcmaeon)
Alcmaeon was the son of Amphiaraus and brother of Amphilochus. Ten years afterwards at Thebes, Laodamas killed Aegialeus, but Alcmaeon killed Laodamas, sending the Thebans fleeing within the city. After the capture of Thebes, he learned that his mother Eriphyle had been bribed against him; following an oracle from Apollo, he killed her. He then went mad and first sought Oicles in Arcadia.
At the springs of Achelous, Alcmaeon was purified and married Arsinoe, daughter of Phegeus. He later received Callirrhoe, daughter of Achelous, as his wife and settled on land formed by the river’s silt. With Manto, daughter of Tiresias, he fathered Amphilochus and Tisiphone, though he later bought Tisiphone as a handmaid without knowing she was his daughter; with Callirrhoe he fathered Amphoterus and Acarnan. After retrieving the necklace and robe for Callirrhoe, he was ambushed and killed at Psophis by the sons of Phegeus. Elsewhere, he secretly came with Diomedes from Argos and helped put to death all the sons of Agrius.
Relationship record
Life events
- Laodamas kills Aegialeus, but Alcmaeon kills Laodamas, causing the Thebans to flee inside the city.(Apollodorus, Library 3.7 · 📍 Thebes)
- Alcmaeon kills his mother Eriphyle after learning she was bribed against him.(Apollodorus, Library 3.7)
- With: Eriphyle
- “After the capture of Thebes , when Alcmaeon learned that his mother Eriphyle had been bribed to his undoing also, he was more incensed than ever, and in accordance with an oracle given to him by Apollo he killed his mother.”
- Achelous purifies Alcmaeon, who marries Callirrhoe and settles on newly formed land.(Apollodorus, Library 3.7 · 📍 Achelous)
- With: Callirrhoe Achelous
- “finally he went to the springs of Achelous, and was purified by him, and received Callirrhoe, his daughter, to wife. Moreover he colonized the land which the Achelous had formed by its silt, and he took up his abode there.”
- Phegeus's sons ambush and kill Alcmaeon after he retrieves the necklace and robe.(Apollodorus, Library 3.7 · 📍 Psophis)
- With: Phegeus
- “But a servant having let out that he was taking the things to Callirrhoe, Phegeus commanded his sons, and they lay in wait and killed him.”
Apollodorus, Library 1.8
- with Agrius (interaction) “Diomedes afterwards came secretly with Alcmaeon from Argos and put to death all the sons of Agrius”
Apollodorus, Library 3.7
- parent: Amphiaraus “Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, sons of Amphiaraus”
- siblings with Amphilochus (son of Amphiaraus) “Alcmaeon and Amphilochus, sons of Amphiaraus”
- with Laodamas (Alcmaeon killed Laodamas in battle.) “he was himself killed by Alcmaeon”
- parent: Eriphyle “when Alcmaeon learned that his mother Eriphyle had been bribed to his undoing also”
- with Eriphyle (interaction) “he killed his mother”
- married with Arsinoe “having been purified by him he married Arsinoe, daughter of Phegeus”
- with Phegeus (Phegeus purified Alcmaeon.) “And having been purified by him he married Arsinoe, daughter of Phegeus”
- married with Callirrhoe “he went to the springs of Achelous, and was purified by him, and received Callirrhoe, his daughter, to wife”
- child: Amphoterus “the sons she had by Alcmaeon”
- child: Acarnan “the sons she had by Alcmaeon”
- child: Amphilochus (son of Alcmaeon) “Alcmaeon begat two children, Amphilochus and a daughter Tisiphone, by Manto, daughter of Tiresias”
- child: Tisiphone “Alcmaeon begat two children, Amphilochus and a daughter Tisiphone, by Manto, daughter of Tiresias”
- servant: Tisiphone (He kept Tisiphone as a handmaid.) “Alcmaeon bought her and kept her as a handmaid, not knowing that she was his daughter”
- with Apollo (Apollo's oracle predicted victory under Alcmaeon's leadership.) “the god predicted victory under the leadership of Alcmaeon”
- with Oicles (interaction) “going mad he first repaired to Oicles in Arcadia”
- with Achelous (Achelous purified Alcmaeon.) “finally he went to the springs of Achelous, and was purified by him”
- parent: Callirrhoe “the sons she had by Alcmaeon”
Apollodorus, Epitome 6
- parent: Amphilochus (son of Alcmaeon) “Amphilochus son of Alcmaeon”
- child: Amphilochus (Alcmaeon is Amphilochus's father.) “Amphilochus son of Alcmaeon”
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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.