Eteocles (Boeotian king)
Boeotian king associated with the Charites and cypress metamorphosis.
Eteocles was a king of Orchomenus in Greek mythology. His local tradition is preserved in Pausanias' Description of Greece. He is notable for his association with the Charites (Graces) and for founding two tribes.
Quick Facts
- King of
- Orchomenus
- Possible father
- Andreus (son of Peneus) or Cephissus
- Mother
- Euippe (daughter of Leucon)
- Founded tribes
- Cephisias and one named after himself
- First to sacrifice to
- Charites (Graces)
- Recognized number of charites
- three
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Eteocles was the son of Andreus (son of Peneus) and Euippe (daughter of Leucon).
- Alternately, he was called son of the river god Cephissus and referred to by the patronymic Cephisiades.
- Eteocles was also called the father of Minyas.
Mythology
Eteocles was credited with founding two tribes (phylae), one named Cephisias after his possible father, and the other named after himself. He gave a portion of his land to Almus, son of Sisyphus, who was believed to have named the village Olmonas (originally Almones). Eteocles was said to be the first to offer sacrifices to the Charites and to recognize three as the true number of the goddesses. Theocritus referred to the Charites as divine daughters of Eteocles, and Strabo credited him with founding their temple, noting he honored them for success in receiving or giving graces. In another account, Eteocles' three daughters drowned in a well while singing and dancing for the Graces; Gaia transformed them into tall cypresses, which were colloquially called graces.
More in Metamorphoses Into Trees in Greek Mythology
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