Arks (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Arcas or Arcade (Ἀρκάς) was the eponymous ancestor and hero of the Arcadians, from whom the country and its inhabitants derived their name. He was the son of Zeus and Callisto, a hunter belonging to Artemis's courtship.

The history of Arcas diverges a lot according to the versions. When his mother, transformed into a bear, was killed by an arrow from Arcas, he was picked up:

1. sent by Zeus who would later give it to Maya to raise him. In this version, Arcas, already an adult, travels to Arcadia, where it is recognized by his grandfather, King Lycaon, who appoints him as a cogent. Arks taught the arks to sow the wheat, make bread, weave and spun the wool, things that he himself had learned from Triptlemus. After the death of his grandfather, he remained alone on the throne.
2. by Lycaon (in fact, authors like Higino claim that he was his son), who will kill him later, serving his flesh to Zeus to prove his divine character. He turned the table (τράπεγα) which had the dishes and destroyed the house of Lycaon with its rays, killing the children of Lycaon and transforming it into wolf, though he returned life to Arcas. When Arcas had grown, he built on the ruins of the house of Lycaon the city of Trapezunte.

Ovid reports that Callisto did not die at the hands of Artemis, but was simply transformed into a bear. When during a hunt Arcas pursued her, without recognizing her, to the sanctuary of Zeus Lyceum, where no mortal was allowed to enter, Zeus raised them both to the stars.

According to Pausanias, Arcas succeeded Níctimo, son of the impious Lycaon, in the government of Arcadia, and giving the country that until then had been called Pelasgia that name. He taught his subjects the arts of bread making and weaving.

He was the father of Elato and Aphidas with Leanira, Meganira or Chrysopelea, or else he was the father of these two and Azán with Erato, a dryad, and he divided his kingdom between them: Azania for Azán, Tegea for Aphidas and Elatea for Elato. With unknown or unmentioned women he fathered Autolao, Hyperipe, Erymanthus and Diomenia, and with Laodamia he fathered Triphilus.

After his death, Arcas was placed in the sky as the constellation Artofílace, which means "guardian of the bear", along with his mother Callisto (the Big Dipper). Hera was not satisfied with the situation of Callisto and Arcas in heaven, so she asked Thetis, her nanny, for help. This, a goddess of the sea, cursed these constellations to forever orbit around the sky without ever going below the horizon, which would explain why they are circumpolar.

Arcas's tomb was located in Mantinea, where his remains had been brought from Mount Menalus at the behest of the Delphic oracle. At Delphi there were statues dedicated to Arcas and his family by the inhabitants of Tegea.

Fonts

• Mythological Library iii.8§2, 9§1
• HIGINO: Fables 224
• PANPOLIS NOON: Dionysy 13.296
• OVIDIO: Metamorphosis ii.410 and sig.
• PAUSANIAS: Description of Greece 5.1.4, 8.4.1-2, 8.9.2-9, 8.24.1, 10.9.5