Augeas
King of Elis whose filthy stables were cleaned by Heracles as one of his famous labours
The Legend of Augeas
Augeas was a king of Elis in the western Peloponnese who owned vast herds of cattle — some said three thousand — whose stables had not been cleaned in thirty years. When Heracles was assigned the task of cleaning the Augean stables in a single day as one of his Twelve Labours, Augeas scoffed and wagered his own cattle that it was impossible. Heracles diverted the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the stable yard, flushing decades of filth away in hours. Augeas then refused to honour the bargain, claiming Heracles had been working for Eurystheus anyway. Heracles later returned with an army, killed Augeas, and installed his loyal son Phyleus as king. He then established the Olympic Games at nearby Olympia.
Parents
Helios (or Phorbas)
Children
Phyleus, Agasthenes
Symbols
Fun Fact
The phrase "Augean stables" still means any task so neglected it seems impossible to put right
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Erginus
🗡 heroWar, Tribute, Later Fatherhood
King of Orchomenus who exacted tribute from Thebes until defeated by the young Heracles.
Erichthonius
🗡 heroNone recorded
Earth-born king of Athens raised by Athena, credited with inventing the four-horse chariot
Oenomaus
🗡 heroNone recorded
A king of Pisa who killed the suitors of his daughter Hippodamia in rigged chariot races until Pelops defeated him through trickery and divine favour
Cocalus
🗡 heroNone recorded
A king of Sicily who sheltered the craftsman Daedalus after his escape from Crete and whose daughters killed King Minos with boiling water
Busiris
🗡 heroNone recorded
Egyptian king who sacrificed strangers to Zeus until Heracles broke free and killed him
Canthus
🗡 heroHerding, loyalty
Argonaut from Euboea who was killed in Libya while searching for stolen cattle
Eryx
🗡 heroBoxing, City Foundation, Sicily
Sicilian king and champion boxer, son of Aphrodite, killed by Heracles in a wrestling match.
Iphiclus
🗡 heroSpeed, herding
Famed Argonaut from Phylace known for his incredible swiftness and prized cattle
Eumelus
🗡 heroHorsemanship, Thessalian leadership
Son of Admetus who commanded the Thessalian contingent at Troy and owned the fastest horses in the Greek army
Idomeneus
🗡 heroKing of Crete at Troy
Idomeneus was the king of Crete who led eighty ships to Troy and was among the fiercest fighters — his story continued in a vow that cost him his son.
Bucolion
🗡 heroHerding, nobility
Eldest but illegitimate son of the Trojan king Laomedon who was raised among herdsmen
Glaucus of Corinth
🗡 heroHorses, Hybris, Divine Punishment
Corinthian king and charioteer who fed his mares on human flesh; they devoured him during the funeral games of Pelias.