Erechtheus in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Erechtheus

26 passages from 5 ancient authors that tell of Erechtheus, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Erechtheus was a king of Athens in Greek mythology. He was one of the first kings of the city, and from his name derived the word Erechtheidae, meanin... For the story in one place, read our article on Erechtheus.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 3.15.1–3.16.2Erechtheus, Aegeus, Minos's war on Athens and the birth of TheseusPandion's sons divide his inheritance and Erechtheus becomes king; his daughters include Procris, killed accidentally by Cephalus, and Orithyia, carried off by Boreas. The section covers Cleopatra and Phineus, Eumolpus and the war with Erechtheus, who sacrifices his daughter, and Aegeus and his marriages. Minos, to avenge Androgeus, takes Megara through Scylla's treachery and imposes the tribute of youths and maidens for the Minotaur. It ends with the birth of Theseus to Aethra and his first two labours, where the surviving text of the Library breaks off.

Euripides (7)

Euripides, Ion 255–310First episode: Creusa tells Ion of Athens and her ancestryIon asks why Creusa weeps, and she gives her name and tells him that she is the daughter of Erechtheus of Athens, whose family springs from Erichthonius, born from Earth. She tells how Athena gave the infant to the daughters of Cecrops to guard, how they opened the chest and died, and how she herself, of her father's children, alone survived. She says that her husband, Xuthus, a foreigner who won her by helping Athens in war, has come with her to ask the oracle about children.
Euripides, Ion 1–81Prologue: Hermes at Delphi tells of Apollo, Creusa and the hidden childHermes, whose mother Maia was a daughter of Atlas, tells how Apollo took Creusa, daughter of Erechtheus, in a cave under the cliffs of the Acropolis at Athens, and how she bore a son in secret and left him to die in the cave. At the god's request Hermes carried the child in his basket to Delphi, where the priestess reared him as a servant of the temple. He says that Creusa and her husband Xuthus are coming to consult the oracle about children, and that Apollo means to give Xuthus his own son, who will be called Ion.
Euripides, Ion 429–508Ion rebukes Apollo; first choral song on childrenLeft alone, Ion wonders why the stranger lady hints at reproaches against the god, and rebukes Apollo for ravishing a maiden and leaving her child to die, saying that the gods should keep the laws that they make for men. The Chorus calls on Athena, Victory and Artemis, and prays that the house of Erechtheus may have the blessing of children. It sings that the childless life is hateful, and recalls Creusa's exposed baby on the slopes of Macrae.
Euripides, Ion 510–584Second episode: Xuthus greets Ion as his sonIon asks the handmaids whether Xuthus is still in the temple, and the Chorus says that he is coming out. Xuthus greets Ion as his son, saying that the first person he met on leaving the temple, as the god had said, is his child. Ion thinks him mad, but Xuthus insists, and Ion accepts him as his father and longs to find his mother. Xuthus then urges him to come to Athens as his heir.
Euripides, Ion 725–807Third episode: Creusa and the Old Servant learn that Xuthus has a sonCreusa calls her aged servant, a retainer of her father Erechtheus, to climb to the god's shrine and share her gladness, since she hopes for the news of a child. The Chorus tells her what it has heard, that Xuthus has a son and has gone with him to offer sacrifice in a tent, and Creusa, learning that her husband has a son, cries out.
Euripides, Ion 1048–1105Second choral song: prayer to Hecate for the poison's successThe Chorus prays to the goddess of the highways, the daughter of Demeter, to guide the hand that fills the cup of death. It sings that no bastard should rule Athens, and that the house of Erechtheus must not go to a stranger's son.
Euripides, Ion 1106–1164Fourth episode: a servant describes Ion's feast tentA servant asks the Chorus where the daughter of Erechtheus is, and says that the rulers of Delphi are pursuing her to stone her, because the plot against the boy has been discovered. He begins to tell how Xuthus, leaving the shrine with his new son, went to sacrifice, and how Ion had a great tent made from tapestries of the temple, with hangings showing the heavens and the sea.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 6.675–721Boreas and OrithyiaAfter the death of Pandion, Erechtheus (Erectheus) becomes king of Athens, and his daughter Orithyia is wooed by Boreas, the north wind. He asks in vain, and in the end carries her off by force, and she bears him the twin sons Zetes and Calais, who grow wings and later sail with the Argonauts.

Pausanias (6)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.5.1–5Athens: the Rotunda and the eponymous heroes of the tribesNear the Council House is the Rotunda, where the presidents sacrifice, and above it stand statues of the heroes who gave their names to the Athenian tribes, among them Hippothoon, Antiochus, Ajax, Leos, Erechtheus, Aegeus, Oeneus and Acamas. Pausanias distinguishes two kings called Cecrops and two called Pandion, and tells of Pandion’s exile at Megara and of Tereus, Procne and Philomela. He adds the later tribes named after Attalus, Ptolemy and the Emperor Hadrian, and mentions Hadrian’s benefactions.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.27.1–10Athens Acropolis: Athena Polias, the Arrephoroi, Tolmides and the bull of MarathonIn the temple of Athena Polias Pausanias lists a wooden Hermes, Daedalus’ folding chair, Persian spoils and the sacred olive, then the temple of Pandrosus and the secret night rite of the Arrephoroi. He describes figures of Erechtheus and Eumolpus, the statue of Tolmides with a summary of his campaigns, and bronze groups of Theseus lifting the rock, and of Theseus and the bull of Marathon, told through Troezenian and Cretan tales.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 7.1.1–9Achaia: Aegialus, Ion and the expulsion of the IoniansPausanias opens his account of Achaia, which was formerly called Aegialus. He tells how Xuthus fled from Thessaly to Athens and then to Aegialus, and how his son Ion married Helice, the daughter of King Selinus, and founded the city of Helice. The Achaeans, driven from Argos and Lacedaemon by the Dorians, then fought the Ionians under Tisamenus. The Ionians were defeated and left for Attica, where the Athenians under Melanthus received them.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.26.1–7Athens Acropolis: Olympiodorus, the Erechtheum and the golden lampOlympiodorus leads the Athenians to retake the Museum hill from the Macedonians, with Leocritus first over the wall, and later helps recover Piraeus and Eleusis. Pausanias then describes the Leucophryenian Artemis and Endoeus’ seated Athena, and the Erechtheum with its altars of Zeus, Poseidon, Erechtheus, Butes and Hephaestus and a well of sea-water with the mark of the trident. He ends with the ancient image of Athena and Callimachus’ golden lamp.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 1.28.1–11Athens: Acropolis offerings, the Areopagus and the courts of justicePausanias lists offerings on the Acropolis, including Phidias’ bronze Athena from the Marathon spoils and the Lemnian Athena, then the Pelasgian wall and a cave sanctuary of Apollo. Below it he describes the Areopagus, the sanctuary of the Venerable Ones (the Furies) and the tomb of Oedipus. He ends with the Athenian law courts, from the Parabystum and the Heliaea to the Palladium, Delphinium, Prytaneum and Phreattys, with the stories of Demophon, Theseus, the Ox-slayer’s axe and Teucer.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.6.1–7Sicyon: Epopeus and Antiope, and the later kings of SicyonPausanias relates how Epopeus carried off Antiope, daughter of Nycteus, and how Lycus and Lamedon settled the quarrel, with Antiope giving birth to Zethus and Amphion at Eleutherae. He continues the Sicyonian kings, including Sicyon himself, Polybus and Adrastus, Phaestus, Zeuxippus, Hippolytus under Agamemnon and Lacestades, whose rule was shared with the Dorian Phalces.

Nonnus of Panopolis (11)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 37.236–421Book 37: The chariot race: Erechtheus passes Scelmis; Actaion upsets PhaunosThe race begins, and Scelmis in his sea-horse chariot leads at first. Erechtheus, praying to Athena, overtakes him on the last lap. Actaion upsets Phaunos' chariot by a trick, and Achates taunts Phaunos as he catches up.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 37.520–666Book 37: Boxing ends; wrestling and the foot-raceMelisseus knocks out Eurymedon in the boxing match. Aiacos throws Aristaios and pins him in the wrestling until the heralds stop the hold, and Erechtheus wins the foot-race after Ocythoos slips in dung.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 39.130–211Book 39: The sea-battle begins; prayers for help from Zeus and BoreasThe Bacchic fleet surrounds the Indian ships, and the battle begins. Aiacos prays to Zeus for an eagle as an omen and for victory, and Erechtheus calls on Boreas, his son-in-law, to send a wind against the Indians.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 13.83–200Book 13: Boeotians, Phocians, Euboians and AtheniansA second Boeotian host is led by Hymenaios from Aspledon, Orchomenos, Hyria and Aulis, and the poet digresses on Orion and Iphigeneia. The Phocians follow, and then the Corybants of Euboia. The Athenians come under Erechtheus, from Marathon, Eleusis and Acharnai.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 37.103–235Book 37: Funeral games: the prizes and the chariot-race entrantsDionysos sets out the prizes for a chariot race in honour of Opheltes and encourages the competitors, who include Erechtheus, Actaion, Scelmis, Phaunos and Achates. Aristaios advises his son Actaion on how to drive, and lots are drawn for places.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 19.0–96Book 19: Dionysos consoles Methe and Botrys; the harpers' contest beginsMethe laments Staphylos, and Dionysos consoles her and Botrys with wine, promising that Methe will give her name to drunkenness and Botrys and Staphylos theirs to the grape cluster and the bunch. He then holds a contest beside Staphylos' tomb, offering a bull and a goat as prizes to the harpers. Erechtheus of Athens sings first, of Demeter entertained by Celeos, comparing Dionysos' hospitality to it.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 22.293–401Book 22: The pursuit; the Hydaspes runs with bloodErechtheus kills an Indian footman, and Oiagros shoots nine men with nine arrows. Aiacos drives the Indians into the river and slaughters them there, giving no mercy to suppliants, until a Naiad begs him to stop defiling the water.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 27.75–143Book 27: Deriades' threats; the Indians march outDeriades goes on to threaten Aiacos, the Cyclopes, the Telchines and Erechtheus, and imagines forging his own thunderbolts. He tells his men to cut down the Bassarids while he and Morrheus deal with Dionysos and Aristaios, and the Indians march out on elephants, horses and foot.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 37.422–519Book 37: The chariot race ends; the boxing beginsPhaunos wrecks Achates' wheel and passes him, and Erechtheus wins the race, followed by Scelmis, Actaion, Phaunos and Achates. Dionysos then puts up prizes for boxing, and Melisseus and Eurymedon prepare to fight.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 38.0–102Book 38: An omen at midday; Idmon and Hermes interpret itThe truce lasts until the seventh year of the war, when a darkness at midday and an eagle carrying a snake that slips into the Hydaspes appear as omens. Idmon, asked by Erechtheus, says they foretell Deriades' drowning in his father's river, and Hermes tells Dionysos that the omen means his own victory, as the sun returns after darkness. Dionysos asks to hear the story of Phaethon.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 19.97–157Book 19: Oiagros wins the song contest; Dionysos sets the prizes for dancingOiagros, father of Orpheus, sings two lines on Apollo and Hyacinthos and the promise that Dionysos will make Staphylos live for ever, and wins the bull, while Erechtheus gets the goat. Dionysos then sets out a golden mixing-bowl and a silver bowl as prizes for a dancing contest in honour of the dead king, who loved dancing.