Acastus
Acastus (maplewood) In Greek mythology, king of Iolcus, a son of Pelias and Anaxibia; Acastus was one of the Argonauts and a member of the Calydonian boar hunt. His sisters were persuaded by Medea, who was a witch, to cut up their father, Pelias, and boil him to make him young again. They followed Medea’s advice, which was a trick to murder Pelias. When Acastus discovered this, he drove Medea and her lover, Jason, from the land and instituted funeral games in honor of his murdered father. During these games Hippolyte (or Astydameia), wife of Acastus, fell in love with her husband’s friend, Peleus. When Peleus ignored her sexual advances, she accused him of attempting to rape her. Soon afterward, while Acastus and Peleus were hunting on Mount Pelion, Acastus took Peleus’s sword after he had fallen asleep. As a result, Peleus, unable to defend himself, was nearly killed by the centaurs. He was saved by either Chiron or Hermes (ancient accounts differ). Peleus later returned and killed Acastus and his wife. Acastus is the father of Laodameia and is mentioned in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (book 8).
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante
