Alcmaeon in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Alcmaeon

6 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Alcmaeon, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Alcmaeon was the son of Amphiaraus and Eriphyle in Greek mythology, one of the leaders who attacked the city of Thebes, after the war that started by ... For the story in one place, read our article on Alcmaeon.

Hesiod (1)

Hesiod, Fragments 1.97–99Ellopia, a fierce boar and the house of AmphiarausA fragment describes the land of Ellopia, its flocks and cattle, and the oak oracle of Dodona. A longer passage describes a terrible fight in which no mortal could face a boar with gleaming tusks except Heracles. The last fragment gives the seer Amphiaraus, his wife Eriphyle and their son Alcmaeon.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.7.1–7Creon, Antigone, the Epigoni and AlcmaeonCreon takes the kingdom and forbids the burial of the Argive dead; Antigone buries Polynices and is entombed alive, and Theseus's Athenians recover the dead for Adrastus. Ten years later the sons of the fallen, the Epigoni, take Thebes under Alcmaeon, and the Thebans flee after Tiresias's death. Alcmaeon kills his mother Eriphyle, is driven mad, marries Arsinoe and Callirrhoe, and is killed over Harmonia's necklace and robe; his sons by Callirrhoe avenge him and colonize Acarnania.

Pindar (1)

Pindar, Pythian Odes 7.1–8.100Pythians 7-8: the Alcmaeonidae of Athens; Aristomenes and AlcmaeonPythian 7 praises Athens and the Alcmaeonidae, who built the temple at Delphi, for the chariot victory of Megacles, and says that prosperity brings envy. Pythian 8 is a hymn to Hesychia, goddess of peace, for Aristomenes of Aegina, wrestling victor, and recalls the giant Porphyrion, who did not know her power, and Alcmaeon at Thebes. It ends with the thought that man is the dream of a shadow and a prayer for Aegina and the Aeacidae.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.64.1–4.66.6Oedipus, the Seven against Thebes and the EpigoniLaïus is killed by his unknown son Oedipus, who solves the riddle of the Sphinx and, unknowingly marrying his mother, has two sons and two daughters; the sons quarrel over the throne. Polyneices gathers an army against Thebes and Eriphyle, bribed with the necklace of Harmonia, sends Amphiaraüs to his death; the Seven fail, and the Athenians force the Thebans to give up the dead. At the seer Teiresias' advice the Thebans leave the city for Tilphossaeum, and the Epigoni take and sack it, dedicating Teiresias' daughter Daphne to Delphi, where she is also called Sibylla.

Pausanias (2)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.24.1–14Psophis: the tomb of Alcmaeon and the necklace of EriphylePausanias gives rival accounts of the founder of Psophis, and says she was really a daughter of Eryx of Sicily whose sons by Hercules renamed the city Phegia after her. He describes the rivers Aroanius and Erymanthus, the boar of Hercules, the sanctuary of Aphrodite Erycina and the shrines of Promachus and Echephron. Alcmaeon is buried there under sacred cypresses, after fleeing for killing his mother and being killed by the sons of Phegeus. He ends with a temple of Erymanthus and the story of Aglaus, said never to have known misfortune.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.17.1–9Olympia: the seer Eperastus and Gorgias of LeontiniPausanias turns to the right from the Leonidaeum towards the great altar and lists statues of victors from Tenedos, Elis, Clazomenae, Cos, Magnesia, Colophon and Arcadian Heraea. He gives the descent of the Clytid seers from Melampus and Amythaon, quoting the verses of the seer Eperastus. He also describes the statue of the orator Gorgias of Leontini, his embassy to Athens with Tisias, and his reported age of a hundred and five years.