Arcas
Hunter turned king of Arcadia, son of Callisto and Zeus.
Arcas was a hunter who became king of Arcadia. He was remembered for teaching people the arts of weaving and baking bread and for spreading agriculture to Arcadia.
Quick Facts
- Parents
- Callisto and Zeus (or Megisto, daughter of Ceteus, son of Lycaon; or Themisto, daughter of Inachus)
- Children
- Azan
- Apheidas
- Elatus
- Triphylus
- Autolaus (illegitimate)
- Hyperippe
- Diomeneia
- Erymanthus
- Pelasgus
- Realm
- Arcadia
- Constellation
- Boötes
Facts from the source article.
Family
Arcas was the son of Zeus and Callisto, though some accounts name his mother as Megisto or Themisto. A rare tradition makes Orchomenus his father. He married Laodamia, Meganeira, the nymph Chrysopeleia, or the Dryad Erato. His children included sons Azan, Apheidas, Elatus, Triphylus, and the illegitimate Autolaus, plus daughters Hyperippe and Diomeneia. Other sons were Erymanthus and Pelasgus.
Mythology
Callisto, a nymph in the retinue of Artemis or daughter of King Lycaon, was raped by Zeus disguised as Artemis, resulting in Arcas. Hera transformed Callisto into a bear. During a feast by King Lycaon, Arcas was placed on a burning altar as a sacrifice. Lycaon challenged Zeus, who restored Arcas whole and turned Lycaon into the first werewolf. Arcas became king of Arcadia and a great hunter. While hunting, he encountered his mother in bear form and nearly killed her, not recognizing her; in one version, he hunted her because she entered the forbidden sanctuary of Zeus on Mt. Lykaion. Zeus stopped him and raised both into the heavens as constellations (Boötes and Ursa Major). Angered, Hera asked Tethys to keep them from ever sinking below the horizon. Arcas's bones were brought from Mount Maenalos to an altar of Hera in Mantinea per the Delphic Oracle.
More in Metamorphoses Into Animals in Greek Mythology
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