Cecrops I

1
Cecrops I
Cecrops I from "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum "
Representation of Cecrops I
Cecrops (AncientGreek: , Kkrops; gen.:
) was a mythical king of Athens who,
according to Eusebius reigned for fifty years. The name
is not of Greek origin according to Strabo,
[1]
or it might
mean 'face with a tail': it is said that, born from the
earth itself, he had his top half shaped like a man and
the bottom half in serpent or fish-tail form. He was the
founder and the first king of Athens itself, though
preceded in the region by the earth-born king Actaeus
of Attica. Cecrops was a culture hero, teaching the
Athenians marriage, reading and writing, and
ceremonial burial.
Mythology
He is said to have been the first who deified Zeus, and
ordained sacrifices to be offered to him as the supreme
Deity. He is likewise affirmed to have been the first
who set up altars and statues of the gods, offered
sacrifices, and instituted marriage among the
Athenians, who, before his time, it seems, lived
promiscuously. Pausanias tells us that he forbade the
sacrificing of any living creatures to the gods, as well
as any sort of other offering, only allowing cakes
formed into the shape of an ox with horns, called by the
Athenians Pelanous, which signifies an ox. He is
likewise said to have taught his subjects the art of
navigation; and, for the better administration of justice
and intercourse among them, to have divided them into
the four tribes called Cecropis, Autochthon, Actea, and
Paralia. Some likewise make him the founder of the
areopagus.
During his reign, Athena became the patron goddess of
the city of Athens in a competition with Poseidon. The
two raced ferociously towards the Acropolis. It was a very close race, but Athena, as judged by Cecrops, won. As
evidence of her victory she planted an olive tree. Poseidon arrived moments later, struck the acropolis with his
trident and thereby created a "salt sea. But Athena had already won, and the city was hers.
The Acropolis was also known as the Cecropia in his honor. The Athenians are said to have called themselves
Cecropid, during the reigns of the five following kings, in his honor.
Cecrops was the father of three daughters: Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaurus. To them was given a box or jar
containing the infant Erichthonius to guard unseen. They looked, and terrified by the two serpents Athena had set
within to guard the child, they fled in terror and leapt from the Acropolis to their deaths. Some accounts say one of
the sisters was turned to stone instead.
Cecrops I
2
Apparently Cecrops married Aglaurus, the daughter of Actaeus (former king of the region of Attica). It is unknown
if this woman was the mother of Cecrops's son Erysichthon. Erysichthon predeceased him, and he was succeeded by
Cranaus, who is said to have been one of the wealthiest citizens of Athens at that time.
Birth of Ericthonius
According to Apollodorus, Athena visited the smith-god Hephaestus to request some weapons, but Hephaestus was
so overcome by desire that he tried to seduce her in his workshop. Determined to maintain her virginity, Athena fled,
pursued by Hephaestus. Despite Hephaestus' lameness, he caught Athena and tried to rape her, but she fought him
off. During the struggle, his semen fell on her thigh, and Athena, in disgust, wiped it away with a scrap of wool
(, erion) and flung it to the earth (, chthn). As she fled, Erichthonius was born from the semen that fell to
the earth. Athena, wishing to raise the child in secret, placed him in a small box.
Athena gave the box to the three daughters of Cecrops, the king of Athens (Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaurus), and
warned them never to open it. Overcome with curiosity, Aglaurus and Herse opened the box, which contained the
infant and future-king, Erichthonius ("troubles born from the earth"). (Sources are unclear whether only one sister or
all three participated.) The sisters were terrified by what they saw in the box: either a snake coiled around an infant,
or an infant that was half-man and half-serpent. They went insane and threw themselves off the Acropolis. Other
accounts state that they were killed by the snake.
An alternative version of the story is that Athena left the box with the daughters of Cecrops while she went to fetch a
mountain from Pallene to use in the Acropolis. While she was away, Aglaurus and Herse opened the box. A crow
saw them open the box, and flew away to tell Athena, who fell into a rage and dropped the mountain she was
carrying (now Mt. Lykabettos). As in the first version, Herse and Aglaurus went insane and threw themselves to their
deaths off a cliff.
Notes
[1] Strabo 7.7.1 "Moreover, the barbarian origin of some is indicated by their namesCecrops, Codrus..."
References
Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). "Cecrops" (http:/ /
www. perseus. tufts. edu/ hopper/ text?doc=Perseus:text:1999. 04. 0104:alphabetic+ letter=C:entry+
group=15:entry=cecrops-bio-1)
Burkert, W. Structure and History in Greek Mythology and Ritual (Baltimore, 1993)
Regnal titles
Precededby
Actaeus
King of Athens Succeededby
Cranaus
Article Sources and Contributors
3
Article Sources and Contributors
Cecrops I Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=619106625 Contributors: 3meandEr, Abu America, Adam Bishop, Angela, Aremulus, Axeman89, Beleg Tl, Bryan Derksen,
Catalographer, Chronographos, DIEGO RICARDO PEREIRA, Daddylight, Davidiad, Deucalionite, Discospinster, Dmetri1, Dodshe, Dzordzm, Gilgamesh, GlassCobra, Goldfritha,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors
File:Cecrops I.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Cecrops_I.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Published by Guillaume Rouille (1518?-1589)
Image:Ccrops Meyers.png Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ccrops_Meyers.png License: Public Domain Contributors: Bibi Saint-Pol, Yuri Che
License
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