Agrius in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Agrius

5 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Agrius, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. In Greek mythology, Agrius was a name given to a number of different characters. One of them was the son of Porthaon, king of Calydon. His brother was... For the story in one place, read our article on Agrius.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.8.1–6Oeneus, Meleager and the Calydonian boarOeneus of Calydon is the first to receive a vine from Dionysus, and the Fates declare that his son Meleager will die when the brand on the hearth is burnt out, so Althaea hides it. When Oeneus forgets Artemis in his sacrifices she sends a boar, and a company of heroes is gathered; Atalanta wounds it first and Meleager kills it and gives her the hide. He kills his mother's brothers, the sons of Thestius, who took it from her, and Althaea burns the brand; a second version has him fall in a war against the Curetes. The section ends with Oeneus's later marriage, Tydeus (father of Diomedes) and the revenge of Diomedes on the sons of Agrius.

Quintus Smyrnaeus (1)

Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy (Posthomerica) 1.766–830Diomedes and Thersites; the Amazons buriedDiomedes, a kinsman of Thersites, is the only Argive angry at his death, and the two heroes are on the point of fighting before their comrades reconcile them. The Atreidae give Penthesileia's body and arms back to Priam, who buries her with her horse beside Laomedon's tomb and buries her Amazons beside her. The Argives raise a mound for Podarces, throw Thersites into a pit, and feast with Achilles.

Antoninus Liberalis (1)

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 20.1–21.6Clinis and PolyphonteClinis of Babylon tries to sacrifice asses to Apollo as the Hyperboreans do; his maddened asses kill his family, who become birds. Polyphonte, who scorned Aphrodite, bears two savage sons to a bear, and she, her sons and their servant become birds of ill or good omen.

Hyginus (1)

Hyginus, Fabulae 168–177Danaus, Meleager and the Calydonian hunt, Lycaon and CallistoDanaus and his daughters, and Amymone, give way to a list of the Danaids and their husbands. The Calydonian boar hunt follows, with its catalogue of hunters, then Meleager's death, Agrius, and the stories of Lycaon and Callisto.

Strabo (1)

Strabo, Geography 10.3.1–6The Curetes of Aetolia and PleuronStrabo asks whether the Curetes were Acarnanians or Aetolians and uses Homer's lines on Pleuron, Calydon and the sons of Porthaon to decide. He tests Ephorus' account of Aetolus, son of Endymion, driving the Curetes out of the land, and criticises its inconsistencies. He also gives the story of the war between the Thestiadae, Oeneus and Meleager over a boar's head and skin.