Palaechthon_(mythology)

Palaechthon

Palaechthon

Greek mythological figure

In Greek mythology, Palaechthon or Palaichthon (Ancient Greek: Παλαίχθονος Palaikhthon means "ancient earth") was the son of Gaea (Earth) and the father of Pelasgus, king of Argos, who gave his name to the race of the Pelasgoi (Pelasgians).[1] He may also be a king of Argos when taking into account the sovereignty of his son.

Mythology

Palaeachthon was only mentioned by Aeschylus in The Suppliants in the following account:

For I am Pelasgus, offspring of Palaechthon, whom the earth brought forth, and lord of this land; and after me, their king, is rightly named the race of the Pelasgi, who harvest the land.[2]

Interpretation

The earthborn Palaichthon (‘long in the land’, i.e. ‘indigenous inhabitant’), whose name appears in no other source, seems to have been an arbitrarily invented figure.[3][4]

Note

  1. [1]
    Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 340 ff
  2. [2]
    Aeschylus, Suppliant Women 250 ff Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. [3]
    Alcman, 57
  4. [4]
    Hard, Robin (2004). The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology. New York: Taylor & Francis Group. p. 538. ISBN 0-203-44633-X.

References


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