Alalcomenes

Alalcomenes (Ancient Greek: Ἀλαλκομένης) was in Greek mythology a Boeotian autochthon, who was believed to have given the name to the Boeotian town of Alalcomenae.[1] He was also said to have brought-up/tutored Athena (under the epithet Athena Alalcomeneis), who was in some traditions said to have been born in that town, and to have been the first who introduced her worship.[2] According to Plutarch, he advised Zeus to have a figure of oak-wood dressed in bridal attire, and carried about amidst hymnal songs, in order to change the anger of Hera into jealousy.[3] The name of the wife of Alalcomenes was Athenaïs, and that of his son, Glaucopus, both of which refer to the goddess Athena.[4][5][6][7]

In some accounts Alalcomenes was said to be the first man, having sprang spontaneously from the earth rather than being created by Prometheus. He was thus one of the men of the so-called golden race, subjects of Cronus. [8]

References

  1. ↑ Schmitz, Leonhard (1867), "Alalcomenes", in Smith, William, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology 1, Boston: Little, Brown and Company, p. 88
  2. ↑ Pausanias, Description of Greece ix. 33. § 4
  3. ↑ Plutarch, De Daedal. Fragm. 5
  4. ↑ Stephanus of Byzantium, s. v.Ἀλαλκομένιον
  5. ↑ Pausanias, Description of Greece ix. 3. § 3
  6. ↑ comp. Dict. of Ant. s. v. Δαίδαλα
  7. ↑ Karl Otfried Müller, Orchom. p. 213
  8. ↑ Graves, Robert (1960). The Greek Myths. London: Penguin Books. pp. 35–37. ISBN 9780140171990.

Sources