View source for Augeas

{{Short description|Greek mythical character}}
{{About|the figure in Greek mythology|the configuration management library|Augeas (software)}}
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Augeas''' (or '''Augeias''', {{IPAc-en|ɔː|ˈ|dʒ|iː|ə|s}}, {{langx|grc|Αὐγείας}}), whose name means "bright", was king of [[ancient Elis|Elis]] and father of [[Epicaste]]. Some ancient authors say that Augeas was one of the [[Argonauts]].<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.9.16&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Augeas 1.9.16]; [[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#14.3 14]</ref> 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 hero [[Heracles]]. The derivative adjective ''augean'' came to signify a challenging task, typically improving or fixing something that is currently in a bad condition.<ref>[https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/augean Augean], Cambridge Dictionary, Retrieved November 7 2024</ref><ref>[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Augean Augean], Merriam-Webster, Retrieved November 7 2024</ref>
== Family ==
Augeas's lineage varies in the sources: he was said to be either the son of [[Helios]]<ref>[[Eustathius of Thessalonica|Eustathius]] ad [[Homer]], p. 303; [[Scholia]] ad [[Apollonius of Rhodes|Apollonius Rhodius]], 1.172; Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.9.16&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:boo=0:chapter=0&highlight=Augeas 1.9.16]</ref> either by [[Nausidame]]<ref name=":022">Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#14.3 14]</ref> or [[Iphiboe]],<ref>[[John Tzetzes|Tzetzes]], ''Chiliades'' [https://www.theoi.com/Text/TzetzesChiliades4.html 4.361]</ref> or of [[Eleius|Eleios]],<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:5.1.9 5.1.9]</ref> or of [[Poseidon]], or of [[Phorbas of Elis|Phorbas]] and [[Hyrmine]].<ref name=":1">[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 2.88</ref> In the latter account, Augeas was probably the brother of [[Actor (mythology)|Actor]],<ref>Pausanias, [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:5.1.11 5.1.11].</ref> [[Tiphys]]<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#14.2 14]</ref> and [[Diogeneia]].<ref>Eustathius on Homer, pp. 303 & 1598</ref> His children were [[Epicaste]], [[Phyleus]], [[Agamede]],<ref>Homer, ''[[Iliad]]'' 11.740; Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#157 157]</ref> [[Agasthenes]],<ref>Homer, ''Iliad'' 2.624</ref> and [[Eurytus]].<ref>[[Diodorus Siculus]], 4.33.3</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+<big>Comparative table of Augeas' family</big>
! rowspan="2" |Relation
! rowspan="2" |Names
! colspan="10" |Sources
|-
|''Homer''
|''Theocritus''
|''Apollonius''
|''Diodorus''
|''Strabo''
|''Apollodorus''
|''Orphic Argo''
|''Pausanias''
|''Hyginus''
|''Tzetzes''
|-
| rowspan="7" |''Parents''
|Helios
|
|✓
|✓
|
|
|✓
|✓
|✓
|
|
|-
|Phorbas and Hyrmine
|
|
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|✓
|
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|-
|Poseidon
|
|
|
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|
|✓
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|
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|✓
|-
|Eleios
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|✓
|
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|-
|Helios and Nausidame
|
|
|
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|
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|
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|✓
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|-
|Phorbas
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|
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|✓
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|
|
|
|✓
|-
|Helios and Iphiboe
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
|✓
|-
|''Sibling''
|Actor
|
|
|
|✓
|
|✓
|
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|-
| rowspan="5" |''Children''
|Agasthenes
|✓
|
|
|
|
|
|
|✓
|
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|-
|Agamede
|✓
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|✓
|
|-
|Phyleus
|
|✓
|
|
|✓
|✓
|
|✓
|
|✓
|-
|Eurytus
|
|
|
|✓
|
|
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|-
|Epicaste
|
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|
|✓
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|}
== Mythology ==
[[File:Mosaico Trabajos Hércules (M.A.N. Madrid) 05.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Heracles]] rerouting the rivers [[Alfeios River|Alpheus]] and [[Pineios River (Peloponnese)|Peneus]], to clean out the Augean stables. Roman mosaic, 3rd century AD.]]
The fifth [[Labours of Hercules|Labour of Heracles]] ([[Hercules]] in [[Latin]]) was to clean the Augean ({{IPAc-en|ɔː|ˈ|dʒ|iː|ə|n}}) stables. [[Eurystheus]] intended this assignment both as humiliating (rather than impressive, like the previous labours) and as impossible, since the livestock were divinely healthy ([[Immortality|immortal]]) and therefore produced an enormous quantity of [[Cow dung|dung]] ({{lang|grc|ἡ<!--[sic]--> ὄνθος}}). Those stables had not been cleaned in over thirty years,<ref>{{cite book
|last=Strouf
|first=Judie L. H.
|author-link=
|date=2005
|title=The literature teacher's book of lists
|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FykPAAAACAAJ
|location=
|publisher=[[Jossey-Bass]]
|page= 13
|isbn=0787975508
}}</ref> and 3,000 cattle lived there. However, Heracles succeeded by rerouting the rivers [[Alfeios River|Alpheus]] and [[Pineios River (Peloponnese)|Peneus]] to wash out the filth.
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 his kingdom to [[Phyleus]], Augeas' son, who had been exiled for supporting Heracles against his father.
According to the odes of the poet [[Pindar]], Heracles then founded the [[Olympic Games]]:
{{cquote|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.<ref>Pindar, [https://gutenberg.org/etext/10717 ''The Extant Odes of Pindar''], Project Gutenberg.</ref>
}}
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 the [[Stymphalian birds|Stymphalian Birds]].
== Notes ==
{{Reflist}}
==References==
{{Wiktionary|Augeas|Augean|Augean stables}}
{{EB9 Poster|Augeias}}
*[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''[[Bibliotheca historica|The Library of History]]'' translated by [[Charles Henry Oldfather]]. Twelve volumes. [[Loeb Classical Library]]. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59&ndash;8. [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site]
*Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
*[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+1.1.1 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
*Pausanias, ''Graeciae Descriptio.'' ''3 vols''. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0159 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Scholia]] to [[Lycophron|Lycophron's]] ''Alexandra'', marginal notes by Isaak and Ioannis Tzetzes and others from the Greek edition of Eduard Scheer (Weidmann 1881). [https://topostext.org/work/860 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]. [[iarchive:lycophronisalexa02lycouoft/page/n5/mode/2up|Greek text available on Archive.org]]
{{Labours of Heracles}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Argonauts]]
[[Category:Kings of Elis]]
[[Category:Kings in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Family of Calyce (mythology)]]
[[Category:Mythological Eleans]]
[[Category:Characters in the Argonautica]]
[[Category:Characters in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Labours of Hercules]]
[[Category:Elean mythology]]
[[Category:Feces]]