Nyctimus
Arcadian prince and youngest son of King Lycaon.
Nyctimus is a figure from Greek mythology, an Arcadian prince and the youngest of the 50 sons of King Lycaon. His story is notable for the varying accounts of his role in his father's downfall and his own brief reign as king of Arcadia.
Quick Facts
- Father
- Lycaon
- Mother
- Cyllene
- Nonacris
- or an unknown woman
- Kingdom
- Arcadia
- Also known as
- Nyktimos
- Field
- Greek mythology
- Nationality
- Arcadian (mythological)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Nyctimus was the father of Periphetes, ancestor of Psophis, one of the possible eponyms for the city of Psophis.
- The genealogical link from Nyctimus to Psophis runs: Nyctimus, Periphetes, Parthaon, Aristas, Erymanthus, Arrhon, and Psophis.
Mythology
In one version of the myth, Nyctimus was killed and served to Zeus as part of a feast, then later restored to life. Another account holds that he alone among Lycaon's sons survived Zeus's thunderbolts because Gaia intervened, grasping his right hand and calming the god's anger. In both traditions, Nyctimus succeeded his father as king of Arcadia, though his rule was brief due to floods in the age of Deucalion, sometimes attributed to his brothers' impiety. According to Pausanias, Nyctimus, as the eldest son, held all power while his brothers founded cities.
Interpretation
Some scholars identify Lycaon with Zeus Lycaeus, an archaic form of Zeus possibly linked to light, who either slays Nyctimus (interpreted as the dark) or is succeeded by him, reflecting the perpetual cycle of night and day.
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