465:
518:
446:
44:
499:
484:
222:
294:, the king of Athens, and warned them never to look inside. Pandrosus obeyed, but Herse and Aglaurus were overcome with curiosity and opened the box, containing the infant and future-king, Erichthonius ("troubles born from the earth," following another etymology). (Sources are unclear regarding how many sisters participated.) The sisters were terrified by what they saw in the box: Either a snake coiled around an infant, or an infant that was half-human and half-serpent. They went insane and threw themselves off the
785:
799:
258:
to request some weapons, but
Hephaestus was so overcome by desire that he tried to seduce her in his workshop. Determined to maintain her virginity, Athena fled, pursued by Hephaestus. He caught Athena and tried to rape her, but she fought him off. During the struggle, his semen fell on her thigh,
275:). As she fled, Erichthonius was born from the semen that fell to the earth. Athena, wishing to raise the child in secret, placed him in a small box and then made sure no one would ever find out by giving him away.
305:
to use in the
Acropolis. While she was away, Aglaurus and Herse opened the box. A crow saw them open the box, and flew away to tell Athena, who fell into a rage and dropped the mountain she was carrying (now
464:
517:
498:
768:
588:
483:
445:
704:
763:
301:
An alternative version of the story is that Athena left the box with the daughters of
Cecrops while she went to fetch a limestone mountain from the
832:
752:
857:
375:
was said to have been so impressed with his skill that he raised him to the heavens to become the constellation of the
Charioteer (
17:
852:
734:
635:
371:, or four-horse chariot, to get around more easily. He is said to have competed often as a chariot driver in games.
692:
656:
651:
250:
842:
697:
Apollodorus, The
Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes.
758:
310:). As in the first version, Herse and Aglaurus went insane and threw themselves to their deaths off a cliff.
283:
135:
64:
43:
154:
527:
817:
837:
279:
862:
847:
748:
700:
669:
165:, his grandson, but by the fourth century BC, during Classical times, they are distinct figures.
673:
376:
124:
344:
in the honor of Athena, and set up a wooden statue of her on the
Acropolis. According to the
790:
221:
302:
8:
710:
665:
603:
387:
367:
It was said that
Erichthonius was lame of his feet and that he consequently invented the
174:
730:
631:
474:
341:
295:
677:
455:
345:
82:
52:
725:
626:
508:
150:
72:
417:
307:
382:
The snake is his symbol, and he is represented in the statue of Athena in the
185:
with ἐρέχθω, "shake" is a late folk-etymology; other folk-etymologies include
826:
720:
621:
235:
804:
31:
745:
The Iliad with an
English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes
410:
391:
386:
as the snake hidden behind her shield. The most sacred building on the
319:
255:
230:
162:
38:
553:
425:
383:
340:. During this time, Athena frequently protected him. He founded the
336:
327:
291:
287:
368:
157:(born of the soil, or Earth) and adopted or raised by the goddess
51:
receives the baby
Erichthonius from the hands of the earth mother
353:
323:
60:
818:
Warburg
Institute Iconographic Database (images of Erichthonius)
361:
357:
226:
158:
146:
56:
48:
740:
584:
579:
505:
The finding of the infant Erichthonius by Cecrops's daughters
490:
The finding of the infant Erichthonius by Cecrops's daughters
349:
331:
326:
twelve years earlier, and became king of Athens. He married
173:
Erichthonius of uncertain etymology is possibly related to a
259:
and Athena, in disgust, wiped it away with a scrap of wool (
100:
372:
140:
112:
109:
103:
85:
91:
161:. Early Greek texts do not distinguish between him and
729:, Moyer Bell Ltd; Unabridged edition (December 1988),
397:
Erichthonius was succeeded by his son Pandion I.
764:
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
115:
106:
94:
780:
88:
298:. Other accounts state that the snake killed them.
97:
650:
624:(December 1988). "25 Athene's Nature and Deeds".
824:
630:(unabridged ed.). Moyer Bell. p. 99.
753:Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
705:Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
598:
596:
602:
278:Athena gave the box to the three daughters (
620:
593:
145:) was a legendary early ruler of ancient
751:; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
318:When he grew up, Erichthonius drove out
220:
42:
703:; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.
471:The Discovery of the Child Erichthonius
14:
825:
452:Erichthonius Released from His Basket
24:
833:Autochthons of classical mythology
322:, who had usurped the throne from
25:
874:
811:
797:
783:
715:Etymological Dictionary of Greek
608:Etymological Dictionary of Greek
516:
497:
482:
463:
444:
394:, is dedicated to Erichthonius.
81:
858:Mythological people from Attica
360:, and to till the earth with a
348:, he taught his people to yoke
254:, Athena visited the smith-god
717:, 2 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2009.
644:
614:
573:
542:
13:
1:
567:
440:Erichthonius of Athens in art
267:) and flung it to the earth (
239:
668:Cambridge, MA / London, UK:
535:
211:
168:
141:
65:Staatliche Antikensammlungen
7:
776:
524:Mercury, Herse and Aglauros
10:
879:
686:
528:Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre
434:
334:, with whom he had a son,
128:
36:
29:
422:
415:
407:
402:
229:Scorning the Advances of
853:Kings in Greek mythology
749:Harvard University Press
701:Harvard University Press
670:Harvard University Press
492:by Jacob Jordaens (1617)
313:
216:
27:Legendary king of Athens
47:Birth of Erichthonius:
843:Children of Hephaestus
245:
68:
18:Erichthonius of Athens
791:Ancient Greece portal
676:– via Perseus,
672:/ William Heinemann.
664:]. Translated by
352:and use them to pull
224:
46:
342:Panathenaic Festival
181:. The connection of
149:. According to some
30:For other uses, see
388:Acropolis of Athens
379:) after his death.
747:. Cambridge, MA.,
652:pseudo-Apollodorus
246:
69:
767:, London (1873).
475:Peter Paul Rubens
432:
431:
423:Succeeded by
303:Pallene peninsula
248:According to the
139:
16:(Redirected from
870:
838:Children of Gaia
807:
802:
801:
800:
793:
788:
787:
786:
681:
680:
648:
642:
641:
618:
612:
611:
610:. Leiden: Brill.
600:
591:
577:
561:
551:
546:
520:
501:
486:
467:
456:Antonio Tempesta
448:
408:Preceded by
400:
399:
346:Parian Chronicle
339:
270:
262:
244:
243: 1555~1560
241:
204:
196:
188:
184:
144:
134:
132:
131:
122:
121:
118:
117:
114:
111:
108:
105:
102:
99:
96:
93:
90:
87:
21:
878:
877:
873:
872:
871:
869:
868:
867:
863:Deeds of Athena
848:Kings of Athens
823:
822:
814:
803:
798:
796:
789:
784:
782:
779:
726:The Greek Myths
699:Cambridge, MA,
689:
684:
649:
645:
638:
627:The Greek Myths
619:
615:
601:
594:
578:
574:
570:
565:
564:
549:
547:
543:
538:
531:
521:
512:
509:Willem van Herp
502:
493:
487:
478:
468:
459:
449:
437:
428:
413:
335:
316:
268:
260:
242:
219:
214:
202:
194:
186:
182:
171:
129:
84:
80:
73:Greek mythology
41:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
876:
866:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
840:
835:
821:
820:
813:
812:External links
810:
809:
808:
794:
778:
775:
774:
773:
759:Smith, William
756:
738:
721:Graves, Robert
718:
708:
688:
685:
683:
682:
643:
636:
613:
592:
571:
569:
566:
563:
562:
552:, suggested a
548:Beekes (2009)
540:
539:
537:
534:
533:
532:
522:
515:
513:
503:
496:
494:
488:
481:
479:
469:
462:
460:
450:
443:
441:
436:
433:
430:
429:
424:
421:
418:King of Athens
414:
409:
405:
404:
403:Regnal titles
315:
312:
308:Mt. Lykabettos
218:
215:
213:
210:
170:
167:
63:, 470–460 BC,
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
875:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
830:
828:
819:
816:
815:
806:
795:
792:
781:
772:
771:
766:
765:
760:
757:
754:
750:
746:
742:
739:
736:
735:0-918825-80-6
732:
728:
727:
722:
719:
716:
712:
711:Beekes, S. P.
709:
706:
702:
698:
694:
691:
690:
679:
675:
671:
667:
663:
659:
658:
653:
647:
639:
637:0-918825-80-6
633:
629:
628:
623:
617:
609:
605:
599:
597:
590:
587:
586:
581:
576:
572:
559:
555:
545:
541:
529:
525:
519:
514:
511:(circa 1650))
510:
506:
500:
495:
491:
485:
480:
476:
472:
466:
461:
457:
453:
447:
442:
439:
438:
427:
420:
419:
412:
406:
401:
398:
395:
393:
389:
385:
380:
378:
374:
370:
365:
363:
359:
355:
351:
347:
343:
338:
333:
329:
325:
321:
311:
309:
304:
299:
297:
293:
289:
285:
281:
276:
274:
266:
257:
253:
252:
237:
236:Paris Bordone
233:
232:
228:
223:
209:
207:
200:
192:
180:
176:
166:
164:
160:
156:
155:autochthonous
152:
148:
143:
137:
126:
125:Ancient Greek
120:
78:
74:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
45:
40:
33:
19:
805:Myths portal
770:Erichthonius
769:
762:
744:
724:
714:
696:
666:Frazer, J.G.
661:
655:
646:
625:
616:
607:
604:Beekes, S.P.
583:
575:
557:
556:proto-form *
544:
523:
504:
489:
477:(circa 1615)
470:
451:
416:
396:
381:
366:
317:
300:
277:
272:
264:
249:
247:
225:
205:
201:, "strife"+
198:
193:, "wool" or
190:
178:
172:
142:Erikhthónios
77:Erichthonius
76:
70:
32:Erichthonius
693:Apollodorus
662:The Library
657:Bibliotheca
356:, to smelt
251:Bibliotheca
208:, "earth".
67:(Inv. 2413)
59:red-figure
827:Categories
622:Graves, R.
568:References
550:Ἐριχθόνιος
411:Amphictyon
392:Erechtheum
320:Amphictyon
256:Hephaestus
238:, between
231:Hephaestus
183:Ἐριχθόνιος
163:Erechtheus
130:Ἐριχθόνιος
39:Erechtheus
37:See also:
589:2.546–551
554:pre-Greek
536:Footnotes
426:Pandion I
384:Parthenon
337:Pandion I
328:Praxithea
296:Acropolis
288:Pandrosus
212:Mythology
175:pre-Greek
169:Etymology
153:, he was
136:romanized
777:See also
678:Tufts U.
654:(1921).
606:(2009).
558:Erekteu-
369:quadriga
354:chariots
284:Aglaurus
179:Erekteu-
687:Sources
435:Gallery
324:Cranaus
292:Cecrops
138::
75:, King
61:stamnos
733:
674:3.14.6
634:
530:(1763)
458:(1606)
390:, the
377:Auriga
362:plough
358:silver
350:horses
273:chthôn
227:Athena
206:chthôn
177:form *
159:Athena
147:Athens
49:Athena
741:Homer
660:[
585:Iliad
580:Homer
332:naiad
314:Reign
290:) of
280:Herse
265:erion
261:ἔριον
217:Birth
191:erion
187:ἔριον
151:myths
57:Attic
731:ISBN
632:ISBN
373:Zeus
330:, a
286:and
269:χθών
203:χθών
199:eris
195:ἔρις
53:Gaia
526:by
507:by
473:by
454:by
71:In
829::
761:;
743:,
723:;
713:,
695:,
595:^
582:,
364:.
282:,
271:,
263:,
240:c.
234:,
197:,
189:,
133:,
127::
123:;
104:oʊ
55:,
755:.
737:.
707:.
640:.
560:.
119:/
116:s
113:ə
110:i
107:n
101:θ
98:ˈ
95:k
92:ɪ
89:r
86:ə
83:/
79:(
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
