InGreek mythology,Augeas (orAugeias,/ɔːˈdʒiːəs/,Ancient Greek:Αὐγείας), whose name means "bright", was king ofElis and father ofEpicaste. Some ancient authors say that Augeas was one of theArgonauts.[1] He is known for his stables, which housed the single greatest number of cattle in the country and had never been cleaned, until the time of the great heroHeracles. The derivative adjectiveaugean came to signify a challenging task, typically improving or fixing something that is currently in a bad condition.[2][3]
Augeas's lineage varies in the sources: he was said to be either the son ofHelios[4] either byNausidame[5] orIphiboe,[6] or ofEleios,[7] or ofPoseidon, or ofPhorbas andHyrmine.[8] In the latter account, Augeas was probably the brother ofActor,[9]Tiphys[10] andDiogeneia.[11] His children wereEpicaste,Phyleus,Agamede,[12]Agasthenes,[13] andEurytus.[14]
| Relation | Names | Sources | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homer | Theocritus | Apollonius | Diodorus | Strabo | Apollodorus | Orphic Argo | Pausanias | Hyginus | Tzetzes | ||
| Parents | Helios | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Phorbas and Hyrmine | ✓ | ||||||||||
| Poseidon | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||
| Eleios | ✓ | ||||||||||
| Helios and Nausidame | ✓ | ||||||||||
| Phorbas | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||
| Helios and Iphiboe | ✓ | ||||||||||
| Sibling | Actor | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Children | Agasthenes | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
| Agamede | ✓ | ✓ | |||||||||
| Phyleus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||
| Eurytus | ✓ | ||||||||||
| Epicaste | ✓ | ||||||||||
_05.jpg)
The fifthLabour of Heracles (Hercules inLatin) was to clean the Augean (/ɔːˈdʒiːən/) stables.Eurystheus intended this assignment both as humiliating (rather than impressive, like the previous labours) and as impossible, since the livestock were divinely healthy (immortal) and therefore produced an enormous quantity ofdung (ἡ ὄνθος). Three thousand cattle lived in the stables, which had not been cleaned in over thirty years.[15] However, Heracles succeeded by rerouting the riversAlpheus andPeneus to wash out the filth.[citation needed]
Augeas reacted angrily because he had promised Heracles one tenth of his cattle if the job was finished in one day. He refused to honour the agreement, and Heracles killed him after completing the tasks. Heracles gave Augeas' kingdom toPhyleus, Augeas' son, who had been exiled for supporting Heracles against his father.
According to the odes of the poetPindar, Heracles then founded theOlympic Games:
the games which by the ancient tomb of Pelops the mighty Heracles founded, after that he slew Kleatos, Poseidon's godly son, and slew also Eurytos, that he might wrest from tyrannous Augeas against his will reward for service done.[16]
Eurystheus discounted the success of this labour because the rushing waters had done the work of cleaning the stables and because Heracles was paid. Stating that Heracles still had seven labours to do, Eurystheus then sent Heracles to defeat theStymphalian Birds.
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
