View source for Autoleon

{{Short description|Ancient Greek mythological figure}}
In [[Greek mythology]], '''Autoleon''' ({{langx|grc|Αὐτολέων}}) was a hero of [[Crotone|Croton]] in [[Magna Graecia]], of which the following story is told. [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] relates precisely the same story of one '''Leonymus''' ({{langx|grc|Λεώνυμος}}).<ref>Pausanias iii. 19. §11</ref>
It was customary with the [[Opuntian Locris|Opuntian]] [[Locrians]], whenever they drew up their army in battle array, to leave one place in the lines open for their national hero [[Ajax the Lesser|Ajax]]. Once in a battle between the Locrians and Crotonians in Italy, Autoleon wanted to penetrate into this vacant place, hoping thus to conquer the Locrians. But the [[shade (mythology)|shade]] of Ajax appeared and inflicted on Autoleon a wound from which he suffered severely. The oracle advised him to conciliate the shade of Ajax by offering sacrifices to him in the island of [[Snake Island (Black Sea)|Leuce]]. This was done accordingly, and Autoleon was cured.
While in the [[Snake Island (Black Sea)|island of Leuce]], Autoleon also saw [[Helen of Troy|Helen]], who gave him a commission to [[Stesichorus]]. This poet had censured Helen in one of his poems and had become blind in consequence. Helen now sent him the message, that if he would recant, his sight should be restored to him. Stesichorus composed a poem in praise of Helen and recovered his sight.<ref>[[Conon (mythographer)|Conon]], ''Narrations'' 18. (cited in ''Smith'')</ref>
==Footnotes==
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==References==
{{SmithDGRBM|page=446|title=Autoleon |url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ACL3129.0001.001/461?rgn=full+text;view=image}}
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[[Category:Ancient Crotonians]]