Erechtheus
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Erechtheas Proper-name adjective: feminine accusative plural of Erechtheus
- a fabled king of Athens, father of Procris, Orithyia, Chthonia, and Creüsa, who devoted themselves to death for their country, Cic. Tusc. 1, 48, 116; id. Fin. 5, 22, 62; id. N. D. 3, 19; id. Sest. 21, 48; Ov. M. 6, 667 sq.; 7, 697; Just. 2, 6, 12.—
- II Derivv.
- A Ĕrechthēus, a, um, adj., Erechthean, and poet. for Athenian: domus, Ov. F. 5, 204: arces, id. M. 8, 548; cf. litus, Val. Max. 6, 1, 1 ext.—
- B Ĕrecthī-dae, ārum, m., poet., the Athenians, Ov. M. 7, 430.—
- C Ĕrechthis, ĭdis, f., a daughter of Erechtheus, Orithyia, Ov. H. 16; Procris, id. M. 7, 726.
Ἐρεχθεύς [Erichthonius.]
(Ἐρεχθεύς). A mythical king of Athens. According to Homer (Il. ii. 547, etc.; Odyss. vii. 81), he was the son of Earth by Hephaestus, and was reared by Athené. Like that of Cecrops, half of his form was that of a snake— a sign that he was one of the aborigines. Athené put the child in a chest, which she gave to the daughters of Cecrops—Agraulos, Hersé, and Pandrosos—to take care of, forbidding them at the same time to open it (Hygin. Poet. Astr. ii. 13). The first two disobeyed, and in terror at the serpent-shaped child (or, according to another version, the snake that surrounded the child), they went mad, and threw themselves from the rocks of the Acropolis. Another account made the serpent kill them. Erechtheus drove out Amphictyon, and got possession of the kingdom. He then established the worship of Athené, and built to her, as goddess of the city (Πολιάς), a temple, named after him the Erechtheum. Here he was afterwards himself worshipped with Athené and Poseidon. He was also the founder of the Panathenaic festival. He was said to have invented the four-wheeled chariot, and to have been taken up to heaven for this by Zeus, and set in the sky as the constellation of the Charioteer. His daughters were Orithyia and Procris. (See Boreas; Cephalus.) Originally identified with Erichthonius, he was in later times distinguished from him, and was regarded as his grandson, and as son of Pandion and Zeuxippé. His twin-brother was Butes, his sisters Procné and Philomela. The priestly office fell to Butes, while Erechtheus assumed the functions of royalty. By Praxithea, the daughter of Cephissus, he was father of the second Cecrops (see Pandion, 2), of Metion (see Daedalus), of Creüsa (see Ion), as well as of Protogenia, Pandora, and Chthonia. When Athens was hard pressed by the Eleusinians under Eumolpus, the oracle promised him the victory if he would sacrifice one of his daughters. He chose the youngest, Chthonia; but Protogenia and Pandora, who had made a vow with their sister to die with her, voluntarily shared her fate. Erechtheus conquered his enemies and slew Eumolpus, but was afterwards destroyed by the trident of his enemy's father, Poseidon. The myth of Erechtheus has suggested the subject for Swinburne's tragedy Erechtheus (London, 1876).
- sacrifice offered to him by Epidaurians in return for Attic olive trees: Hdt. 5.82
- father of Orithyia: Hdt. 7.189
- name of Athenians first used in his time: Hdt. 8.44
- his shrine on the Acropolis: Hdt. 8.55
- king of Athens: Paus. 1.38.3
- his children: Apollod. 1.9.19
- father of Cecrops: Paus. 1.5.3, Paus. 7.1.2, of Creusa: Paus. 1.28.4, Apollod. 1.7.3, of Metion: Paus. 2.6.5, of Orneus: Paus. 2.25.6, and of Procris: Apollod. 1.9.2
- ancestor of Thespius: Paus. 9.26.6
- his daughter (Creusa) married to Xuthus: Paus. 7.1.2
- twin son of Pandion: Apollod. 3.14.7, Paus. 1.5.3
- succeeds to the kingdom: Apollod. 3.14.8
- marries Praxithea: Apollod. 1.9.19
- in the war with the Eleusinians he slaughters his youngest daughter for victory, and the other daughters slaughter themselves: Apollod. 1.9.23
- kills Eumolpus: Apollod. 1.9.23
- he and his house destroyed by Poseidon: Apollod. 1.9.23
- defeats Eleusinians and falls in battle: Paus. 1.5.2, Paus. 1.36.4, Paus. 1.38.3
- eponymous hero of Athenian tribe: Paus. 1.5.2
- sacrifice to him: Paus. 1.26.5
- statues: Paus. 1.27.4, Paus. 9.30.1, Paus. 10.10.1