Chapter 6: Other Early Families
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♠ ApB 3.12.6 – Apollodoros, Bibliotheke (Library)
Even after his death Aeacus is honored in the abode of Pluto, and keeps the keys of Hades. Greek Text
♠ DMor 6 (20) – Loukianos, Dialogi Mortuorum (Dialogues of the Dead)
6 (20). Menippus and Aeacus
MENIPPUS
In Pluto’s name, Aeacus, show me all the sights of Hades.
AEACUS
That would be rather an undertaking, Menippus. However, you shall see the principal things. Cerberus here you know already, and the ferryman who brought you over. And you saw the Styx on your way, and Pyriphlegethon.
MENIPPUS
Yes, and you are the gate-keeper. Greek Text
♠ Plato, Gorgias 524a
These, when their life is ended, shall give judgement in the meadow at the dividing of the road, whence are the two ways leading, one to the Isles of the Blest, and the other to Tartarus. And those who come from Asia shall Rhadamanthus try, and those from Europe, Aeacus; and to Minos I will give the privilege of the final decision, if the other two be in any doubt; that the judgement upon this journey of mankind may be supremely just. Greek Text
♠ Apol 41a – Plato, Apologia
shall find those who are really judges who are said to sit in judgment there, Minos and Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus and Triptolemus, and all the other demigods who were just men in their lives, would the change of habitation be undesirable? Greek Text
♠ 9.Euag 15 – Isokrates, Euagoras
During his entire stay among men he ever enjoyed the fairest repute, and after his departure from life it is said that he sits by the side of Pluto and Kore2 in the enjoyment of the highest honors. Greek Text
♠ Ol 2.68-80 – Pindar, Olympian Odes
Those who have persevered three times, on either side, to keep their souls free from all wrongdoing, [70] follow Zeus’ road to the end, to the tower of Cronus, where ocean breezes blow around the island of the blessed, and flowers of gold are blazing, some from splendid trees on land, while water nurtures others. With these wreaths and garlands of flowers they entwine their hands [75] according to the righteous counsels of Rhadamanthys, whom the great father, the husband of Rhea whose throne is above all others, keeps close beside him as his partner. Peleus and Cadmus are counted among them, and Achilles who was brought there by his mother, when she had [80] persuaded the heart of Zeus with her prayers. Greek Text
♠ 9.Euag 14-15 – Isokrates Euagoras
In the first place Aeacus, son of Zeus and ancestor of the family of the Teucridae, was so distinguished that when a drought visited the Greeks and many persons had perished, and when the magnitude of the calamity had passed all bounds, the leaders of the cities came as suppliants to him; for they thought that, by reason of his kinship with Zeus and his piety, they would most quickly obtain from the gods relief from the woes that afflicted them. [15] Having gained their desire, they were saved and built in Aegina a temple to be shared by all the Greeks on the very spot where he had offered his prayer. Greek Text
♠ Paus 2.29.7-8 – Pausanias, Description of Greece
A drought had for some time afflicted Greece, and no rain fell either beyond the Isthmus or in the Peloponnesus, until at last they sent envoys to Delphi to ask what was the cause and to beg for deliverance from the evil. The Pythian priestess bade them propitiate Zeus, saying that he would not listen to them unless the one to supplicate him were Aeacus. [8] And so envoys came with a request to Aeacus from each city. By sacrifice and prayer to Zeus, God of all the Greeks （Panellenios）, he caused rain to fall upon the earth, and the Aeginetans made these likenesses of those who came to him. Greek Text
♠ Ol 8.31-52 – Pindar, Olympian Odes
Aeacus, whom wide-ruling Poseidon and the son of Leto, when they were about to build the crown of walls to encircle Ilium, summoned as a fellow worker; for it was fated that when war arose, [35] in the city-destroying battles, that wall would breathe forth ravening smoke. And three gray-green serpents, when the wall was newly built, tried to leap into it; two of them fell down, stunned, and gave up their lives, [40] and the third leapt up with a cry. Pondering this adverse omen, Apollo said right away: “Pergamos is taken, hero, through the works of your hands—so says a vision sent to me from the son of Cronus, loud-thundering Zeus— [45] not without your sons: the city will be destroyed with the first generation, and with the third.” The god spoke clearly, and then hurried on his way, driving to Xanthus, and to the Amazons with their fine horses, and to the Danube. And the wielder of the trident drove his swift chariot to the sea-washed Isthmus, [50] bringing Aeacus here on his golden horses, and going to see the ridge of Corinth, famous for its feasts. Greek Text
♠ Σ Ol 8.41a – Scholia to Pindar, Olympian Odes – Scholia vetera in Pindari carmina, Scholia in Olympionicas 1, p. 247, ed. A.B Drachman. Leipzig 1903.
♠ Il 21.441-57 – Homer, Iliad
Fool, how witless is the heart thou hast! Neither rememberest thou all the woes that we twain alone of all the gods endured at Ilios, what time we came [445] at the bidding of Zeus and served the lordly Laomedon for a year’s space at a fixed wage, and he was our taskmaster and laid on us his commands. I verily built for the Trojans round about their city a wall, wide and exceeding fair, that the city might never be broken; and thou, Phoebus, didst herd the sleek kine of shambling gait amid the spurs of wooded Ida, the many-ridged. [450] But when at length the glad seasons were bringing to its end the term of our hire, then did dread Laomedon defraud us twain of all hire, and send us away with a threatening word. He threatened that he would bind together our feet and our hands above, and would sell us into isles that lie afar. [455] Aye, and he made as if he would lop off with the bronze the ears of us both. So we twain fared aback with angry hearts, wroth for the hire he promised but gave us not. Greek Text
♠ Il 7.452-53 – Homer, Iliad
the wall that I and Phoebus Apollo built with toil for the warrior Laomedon. Greek Text
♠ Il 6.434-35 – Homer, Iliad
by the wild fig-tree, where the city may best be scaled, and the wall is open to assault. [435] For thrice at this point came the most valiant Greek Text
♠ Nem 5.11-12 – Pindar, Nemean Odes
the illustrious sons of Endais and the strong, mighty Phocus stood and prayed Greek Text
♠ Bak 13.96-99 – Bakchylides, Odes
and of rosy-armed Endaïs, who bore [godlike Peleus] and the helmeted warrior Telamon, having gone to bed with Aeacus. Greek Text
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Literary sources edited by Elena Bianchelli, Retired Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, February 2024.
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