- Acestes
Acestes or Egestes (Greek polytonic|Ἄκέστης) was, in
Roman mythology , the son of theSicilia n river-godCrinisus by a Dardanian or Trojan woman named Egesta or Segesta. [Virgil , "Aeneid " i. 195, 550, v. 36, 711, &c.]According to
Servius , this woman Egesta or Segesta was sent by her father, Hippotes or Ipsostratus, toSicily , that she might not be devoured by the monsters, which infested the territory ofTroy , and which had been sent into the land, because the Trojans had refused to rewardPoseidon andApollo for having built the walls of their city. [Citation
last = Schmidt
first = Leonhard
author-link = Leonhard Schmidt
contribution = Acestes
editor-last = Smith
editor-first = William
title =Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 7
publisher =
place = Boston
year = 1867
contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0016.html ] When Egesta arrived in Sicily, the river-godCrinisus in the form of a bear or a dog sired with her a son named Acestes, who was afterwards regarded as the hero who had founded the town ofSegesta . [Comp. Schol. "ad Lycophr." 951, 963]A slight variation on the tradition has it that Acestes welcomed
Aeneas when he arrived inSicily . The funeral games of Aeneas' fatherAnchises were held there. Those of Aeneas' folk who wished to voyage no further were allowed to remain behind with Acestes and together with Acestes' people they founded the city of Acesta, that isSegesta .Mythological tradition of Dionysius
The tradition of Acestes in
Dionysius , [Dionysius , i. 52] who calls him Aegestus (polytonic|Αίγεστος), is different, for according to him, the grandfather of Aegestus quarreled withLaomedon , who slew him and gave his daughters to some merchants to convey them to a distant land. A noble Trojan however embarked with them, and married one of them in Sicily, where she subsequently gave birth to a son, Aegestus. During the war against Troy Aegestus obtained permission fromPriam to return and take part in the contest, and afterwards returned to Sicily, whereAeneas on his arrival was hospitably received by him andElymus , and built for them the towns of Aegesta and Elyme. The account of Dionysius seems to be nothing but a rationalistic interpretation of the genuine legend. [As to the inconsistencies in Virgil's account of Acestes, see Heyne, "Excurs." 1, "on Aen." v.]Arrow of Acestes
In the
Aeneid , Acestes participates in a trial of skill in which he shoots hisarrow which then bursts into flame as a sign from Jupiter of Acestes' deserved honor.References
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