AEACUS (son of Zeus in Greek mythology)

Aeacus was the original inhabitant and the only known king of the island, which he renamed Aegina after his mother, who had previously been known as Oenopia.^6,7,8 During a time of famine on the island, Zeus transformed ants into men and women to provide companions for the lonely king.^6,9 He chafed at being alone when he reached full youth, a solitude that marked his early days before the divine intervention.¹⁰ Aeacus married Endeis, the daughter of Sciron, and together they fathered the two great heroes Peleus and Telamon, with Peleus being the younger brother.^6,7 The Nereid Psamathe, daughter of Nereus, also loved him with the help of Aphrodite, and from this union was born their son Phocus.^6,3,11

Tragedy struck the family when Peleus and Telamon slew their brother Phocus, leading to their exile from Aegina.^12,13 Aeacus intentionally created the dangerous reefs around Aegina to deter pirates and make the island's approach perilous to protect it from sea raids.¹⁴ He assigned military leadership to Sciron and brought soldiers who had been recently recruited to defend his realm.^15,16 When Minos arrived seeking aid, Aeacus went forth to meet him but refused the request, citing a compact with Cecropia to which he was allied.³ He spoke after Cephalus's eloquence had promoted the cause, maintaining his stance in the diplomatic exchange.⁴

Aeacus was the only person capable of successfully supplicating Zeus to end a drought, a power for which Greeks from various cities sent envoys to ask him to pray for rain.^17,18 Following an oracle's command, he performed a sacrifice to Zeus, the God of all Greeks, on the island of Aegina.¹⁹ A shrine dedicated to him stands in the most prominent part of the city of Aegina.^14,20

In the realm of the dead, Aeacus holds authority over the silent shades and keeps the keys of Hades.^6,21 His duties include preventing the dead from returning to the world of the living and punishing Charon for transporting passengers without payment.^22,23 He sits in judgment on the deeds of men, trying trembling culprits for their sins committed on earth and punishing tyrants in the afterlife.^24,25 The family, known as the Aeacidae, became the noblest lineage among the enduring Achaeans, producing ancestors for figures like Miltiades and the warrior Ajax.^{26,27,28,29,30}