Arcas
Eponymous founder and king of Arcadia who was nearly tricked into eating his own transformed mother
The Legend of Arcas
Arcas was the son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto, and the ancestor from whom the entire region of Arcadia takes its name. After Callisto was transformed into a bear by Hera or Artemis as punishment for her liaison with Zeus, the infant Arcas was raised by Maia or by his maternal grandfather Lycaon. When Arcas grew to manhood and became a hunter, he encountered a great bear in the forests of Arcadia. Not recognising his own mother, he pursued her and was about to strike her down with his spear. Zeus intervened at the last moment, snatching both mother and son into the heavens and placing them among the stars as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Before this catasterism, Arcas had ruled wisely, teaching his people agriculture and the art of weaving wool, transforming Arcadia from a savage land into a civilised kingdom.
Parents
Zeus and Callisto
Children
Elatus, Aphidas, Azan
Symbols
Fun Fact
Arcas gave his name to both Arcadia and indirectly to the Arctic, which means the land beneath the bear constellation
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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