Augeas
or Augeias (Αὐγέας or Αὐγείας), a son of Phorbas and Hermione, and king of the Epeians in Elis. According to some accounts he was a son of Eleios or Helios or Poseidon. (Paus. 5.1.7; Apollod. 2.5.5; Schol. ad Apollon. 1.172.) His mother, too, is not the same in all traditions, for some call her Iphiboe or Naupidame. (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 41; Hyg. Fab. 14.) He is mentioned among the Argonauts, but he is more celebrated in ancient story on account of his connexion with Heracles, one of whose labours, imposed upon him by Eurystheus. was to clear in one day the stables of Augeas, who kept in them a large number of oxen. Heracles was to have the tenth part of the oxen as his reward, but when the hero had accomplished his task by leading the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the stables, Augeas refused to keep his promise. Heracles, therefore, made war upon him, which terminated in his death and that of his sons, with the exception of one, Phyleus, whom Heracles placed on the throne of his father. (Apolod. l.c.; 2.7.2; Diod. 4.13, 33; Theocrit. Idyll. 25.) Another tradition preserved in Pausanias (5.3. § 4, 4.1) represents Augeas as dying a natural death at an advanced age, and as receiving heroic honours from Oxylus. [L.S]
or Au'gias (Αὐγέας or Αὐγίας), an Athenian poet of the middle comedy. Suidas (s. v.) and Eudocia (p. 69) mention the following plays of his: Ἄγροικος, Δίς, Κατηρούμενος, and Πορφύρα. He appears likewise to have written epic poems, and to have borrowed from Antimachus of Teos. (Fabric. Bibl. Graec. ii. p. 425. [C.P.M]
(Αὐγείας) or Augĕas (Αὐγέας). Son of Helios, or, according to another account, of Phorbas, and Hermioné. He was king of the Epeians in Elis, and one of the Argonauts. Besides his other possessions, for which Agamemnon and Trophonius built him a treasure-house, he was owner of an enormous flock of sheep and oxen, among which were twelve white bulls consecrated to the Sun. When Heracles, at the command of Eurystheus, came to cleanse his farm-yard, Augeas promised him the tenth part of his flock. But, the task completed, he refused the reward, on the ground that the work had been done in the service of Eurystheus. Heracles replied by sending an army against him, which was defeated in the passes of Elis by Eurytus and Cteatus, sons of Molioné; but Heracles appeared on the scene, and slew the Molionidae, and with them their uncle Augeas and his sons. See Heracles; Molionidae.
- in the Argo: Apollod. 1.9.17
- son of Eleus or the Sun: Paus. 5.1.9
- holds Olympic games: Paus. 5.8.3
- has much cattle: Paus. 5.1.9
- king of Elis, his cattleyard cleaned out by Herakles: Apollod. 2.5.4, Apollod. 2.5.5
- refuses to pay Herakles his reward and expels him from Elis: Apollod. 2.5.5
- cheats Herakles: Paus. 5.1.9ff.
- allies himself with sons of Actor: Paus. 5.1.10
- at war with Herakles: Paus. 2.15.1, Paus. 5.2.1, Paus. 5.3.1, Paus. 6.20.16
- killed by Herakles: Apollod. 2.7.1
- death: Paus. 5.3.3
- father of Admetus: Paus. 10.25.5
- sacrifice to him: Paus. 5.4.2
- appoints the Molionides his generals: Apollod. 2.7.1
- father of Epicaste: Apollod. 2.7.8