Lepreus (mythology)
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Lepreus was a son of Caucon (Glaucon) or Pyrgeus, and grandson of Poseidon
; one account calls him son of Poseidon. His mother was Astydameia
, daughter of Phorbas
.
Lepreus once advised Augeas
to cast Heracles
in bonds, so that Augeas wouldn't have to keep his promise to reward Heracles for cleansing of his stables. Since then, Heracles hated Lepreus; but when he came to Caucon's house after completing his twelve labors, Astydameia insisted that he reconcile with her son. Lepreus then challenged Heracles to several friendly competitions, namely throwing a discus
, drawing water, and seeing which of the two was the fastest eater, each having to consume a bull at a time. Despite his absolute confidence, Lepreus lost all the competitions. After getting beaten in a drinking contest as well, he challenged Heracles to single combat and was killed during the match.
Lepreus was said to have been buried in Phigalia, but the local inhabitants could not show his tomb. He was also credited with having been the founder and eponym
of the city Lepreus, though some believed that it was named after Leprea, daughter of Pyrgeus (that is, a possible sister of Lepreus), or simply after the skin disease known as λέπρα (leprā) which had once struck the local population.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, Lepreus was a son of Caucon (Glaucon) or Pyrgeus, and grandson of Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
; one account calls him son of Poseidon. His mother was Astydameia
Astydameia
In Greek mythology, Astydameia is a name attributed to five individuals.-Queen of Iolcus:Astydameia, daughter of Cretheus , was the Queen of Iolcus and wife of Acastus. Her husband purified Peleus of the murder of King Eurytion of Phthia. Astydameia fell in love with Peleus but he scorned her...
, daughter of Phorbas
Phorbas
In Greek mythology, Phorbas or Phorbaceus may refer to:*Phorbas, a prince of the Thessalian Phlegyes who emigrated to Elis in the Peloponnesos. Phorbas was the son of Lapithes and Orsinome, and a brother of Periphas. He assisted Alector, king of Elis, in the war against Pelops, and shared the...
.
Lepreus once advised Augeas
Augeas
In Greek mythology, Augeas , whose name means "bright", was king of Elis and father of Epicaste. Some say that Augeas was one of the Argonauts....
to cast Heracles
Heracles
Heracles ,born Alcaeus or Alcides , was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, foster son of Amphitryon and great-grandson of Perseus...
in bonds, so that Augeas wouldn't have to keep his promise to reward Heracles for cleansing of his stables. Since then, Heracles hated Lepreus; but when he came to Caucon's house after completing his twelve labors, Astydameia insisted that he reconcile with her son. Lepreus then challenged Heracles to several friendly competitions, namely throwing a discus
Discus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
, drawing water, and seeing which of the two was the fastest eater, each having to consume a bull at a time. Despite his absolute confidence, Lepreus lost all the competitions. After getting beaten in a drinking contest as well, he challenged Heracles to single combat and was killed during the match.
Lepreus was said to have been buried in Phigalia, but the local inhabitants could not show his tomb. He was also credited with having been the founder and eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
of the city Lepreus, though some believed that it was named after Leprea, daughter of Pyrgeus (that is, a possible sister of Lepreus), or simply after the skin disease known as λέπρα (leprā) which had once struck the local population.