Asterion
Argonaut from Thessaly who was the son of a river god and sailed to Colchis with Jason
The Legend of Asterion
Asterion was the son of the river god Apidanus and Cleobule, hailing from the region near the confluence of the Apidanus and Enipeus rivers in Thessaly. His divine river parentage gave him a connection to the waters that made him a natural choice for a sea voyage. Asterion joined Jason's crew aboard the Argo and sailed to Colchis in pursuit of the Golden Fleece. The name Asterion, meaning starry one, appears in several mythological contexts, including as a name for the Minotaur and for a king of Crete. The Argonaut Asterion is distinct from these other figures. He served loyally during the expedition, and his Thessalian origin connected him to the heartland from which Jason himself hailed. The river heritage of his father linked him to the ancient landscape of the Greek world.
Parents
Apidanus and Cleobule
Symbols
Explore Further
Phanus
🗡 heroWine, Dionysian heritage
Son of Dionysus who sailed with the Argonauts as a representative of the god of wine's lineage
Menesthius
🗡 heroMyrmidon leadership, river god heritage
Son of the river god Spercheius who commanded one of the five Myrmidon divisions at Troy
Phalerus
🗡 heroSeamanship, Athenian heritage
Athenian Argonaut after whom the ancient port of Phaleron near Athens was named
Coronus
🗡 heroLapith heritage, combat
Son of the Lapith lord Caeneus who sailed with the Argonauts as a representative of his people
Thessalus
🗡 heroKingship, Heracles heritage
Son of Heracles and legendary ancestor after whom the region of Thessaly was named
Eurydamas
🗡 heroCombat, Argonaut voyage
Argonaut from the shores of Lake Xynias who sailed with Jason to Colchis
Nausithous
🗡 heroNone recorded
Founder and first king of the Phaeacians on the island of Scheria
Leodocus
🗡 heroCombat, Argonaut voyage
Argonaut who joined Jason's expedition to Colchis aboard the legendary ship Argo
Actor
🗡 heroCombat, brotherhood
Argonaut who sailed with his brother Erytus and joined Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece
Antiphus
🗡 heroCoan leadership, Heracles heritage
Son of the Thessalian king Thessalus who co-commanded the forces from Cos and nearby islands
Butes
🗡 heroBeekeeping, Resistance, Sirens
Argonaut and Athenian hero who alone leaped toward the Sirens and was saved by Aphrodite.
Alector
🗡 heroKingship, Argos
Argive nobleman and father of several notable figures in the Trojan War tradition