LYCAON (king of Arcadia)

Lycaon fathered fifty sons through many different wives, and he is identified as the father of the archer Pandarus and of Callisto.^5,2,7,8,9,10 He was also the father of Orchomenus, who founded Orchomenus, and Hypsus, who founded Melaeneae and Hypsus.¹¹ Some accounts claim Phigalus was not actually a son of Lycaon but an aboriginal, though he was identified as the original founder of the city.¹² Lycaon founded the city of Phigalia and established Lycosura on Mount Lycaeus, where he also founded the Lycaean games.^13,14

He plotted against the supreme god who controls thunder and the other deities.¹⁵ He mocked the people’s worship of the arriving divine figure and planned to kill the visitor while he slept to test his divinity.⁶ He slaughtered a Molossian hostage and cooked parts of his body.⁶ He served the cooked flesh of the hostage to the visitor.⁶

Zeus struck Lycaon and his sons with thunderbolts in anger.⁵ Lycaon was destroyed by Zeus's thunderbolts, and some believe he was transformed into a beast.^5,16 According to the story, his transformation into a wolf was not permanent, and ever since his time, men have transformed into wolves during sacrifices to Lycaean Zeus.¹⁷ His clothing turned into hair and his arms became legs, and he fled into the countryside and began howling like an animal.⁶ He attempted to speak in vain after reaching the solitude of the country, his mouth developing a violent desire to attack sheep and drink blood.⁶

The impiety of Lycaon’s sons is said to have occasioned the great flood during the time of Deucalion.¹⁸ He assigned the surname Lycaeus to the god Zeus, and he received the transformed Callisto and her infant son from goat-herds.^14,19 Lycaon pretended ignorance about Zeus seducing Callisto, and he was identified as the father of the woman who is the mother of Arcas.^20,21 A high burial mound belonging to his son is described as appearing beautiful even to the gods.²² He was transformed into a wolf while retaining some human features.⁶