Erichthonius of Dardania


The mythical King Erichthonius of Dardania was the son of Dardanus, King of Dardania and Batea and thus brother of Ilus and Zacynthus. Erichthonius was said to have enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous reign.

Etymology

Erichthonius is of uncertain etymology, possibly related to a pre-Greek form *Erektyeu-. The connection of Ἐριχθόνιος with ἐρέχθω, "shake" is a late folk-etymology; other folk-etymologies include ἔριον, erion, "wool" or eris, "strife"+ χθών chthôn or chthonos, "earth".

Mythology

Fundamentally, all that is known of this Erichthonius comes from Homer, who says :
John Tzetzes and one of the scholia to Lycophron call his wife Astyoche, daughter of Simoeis. The Bibliotheca also adds Erichthonius' older brother Ilus, who died young and childless; presumably a doublet of the other Ilus, grandson of Erichthonius, eponym of Troy.
Strabo records, but discounts, the claim by "some more recent writers" that Teucer came from the deme of Xypeteones in Attica, supposedly called Troes in mythical times. These writers mentioned that Erichthonius appears as founder both in Attica and the Troad, and may be identifying the two.
Erichthonius reigned for forty six or, according to others, sixty five years and was succeeded by his son Tros.

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