Cecrops II
In Greek mythology, Cecrops II (/ˈsiːkrɒps/; Ancient Greek: Κέκροψ, Kékrops; gen.: Κέκροπος) was the legendary or semi-legendary seventh king of Athens and in whose reign the deeds of Dionysus and Perseus occurred.[1]
Family
Cecrops was the son of Pandion I, king of Athens[2][3] and possibly Zeuxippe, and thus brother to Erechtheus, Butes, Procne and Philomela. In some accounts, his parents were identified to be Erechtheus and the naiad Praxithea and thus he was brother to Pandorus, Metion, Procris, Creusa, Chthonia and Orithyia.
Cecrops married Metiadusa, daughter of Eupalamus (his brother[4] or a son of Metion[5]), by whom he became the father of his heir, Pandion II.[6][7]
Mythology
After Poseidon having destroyed Erechtheus and his house during the war between Athens and Eleusis, Cecrops being the eldest of the dead king's children, succeeded to the throne.[8] He was chosen by the appointed judge Xuthus, his brother-in-law, who was accordingly banished from the land by the rest of the sons of Erechtheus.[9]
After ruling for 40 years,[10] he was ousted by Metion and Pandorus, and fled to Aegilia or Aegialea where he would die.
Cecrops was succeeded in Athens by his son Pandion II (though Pandion II has also been said to be his nephew, the son of Erechtheus).
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Erechtheus |
King of Athens | Succeeded by Pandion II |
Notes
- Eusebius, Chronography 66
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 9.33.1
- Cecrops was identified as the brother of Erechtheus and thus, the son of Pandion I as cited in Jerome, Chronicon B1347 & Eusebius, Chronography 66
- Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 4.76.1
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.15.8
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.15.1
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 1.5.3
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.15.5
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 7.1.2
- Jerome, Chronicon B1347
References
- Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
- Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
- Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Pseudo-Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.