Editing Echemus

{{Short description|Tegean king of Arcadia who succeeded Lycurgus in Greek mythology}}
{{for|the spider genus ([[Gnaphosidae]])|Echemus (spider)}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Echemus''' ({{IPAc-en|'|ɛ|k|ə|m|ə|s}}; {{langx|grc|Ἔχεμος}}, ''Ekhemos'') was the [[Tegea]]n king of [[Arcadia (ancient region)|Arcadia]] who succeeded [[Lycurgus (son of Aleus)|Lycurgus]].

== Family ==
Echemus was the son of [[Aeropus (mythology)|Aeropus]], son of King [[Cepheus (king of Tegea)|Cepheus]].<ref name=":0">[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+8.5.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=8:chapter=5&highlight=Timandra 8.5.1]</ref> He was married to [[Timandra (mythology)|Timandra]], daughter of [[Leda (mythology)|Leda]] and [[Tyndareus]] of [[Sparta]].<ref name="Cat">[[Hesiod]], [[Catalogue of Women|''Ehoiai'']] fr. 23a.</ref> Timandra bore him a son, [[Laodocus|Ladocus]],<ref>Pausanias, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+8.44.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160:book=8:chapter=44&highlight=Ladocus 8.44.1]</ref> before deserting Echemus for [[Phyleus]], the king of [[Dulichium]]. This lineage made Echemus a part of the Greek mythical family Atreidai, which stood in direct opposition to the Heracleidae, and emphasised the "pre-dorian" ancestry of the Tegeans and Arcadians.<ref>Pretzler, M.(1999) 94.</ref>

An alternative genealogy makes Echemus a son of Aeropus, son of the war god [[Ares]] rather than Cepheus, this was a genealogy presented to Pausanias in Tegea, which he includes in his description of the temple of Ares Aphenius between the cities of Tegea and [[Pallantium (Arcadia)|Pallantium]].<ref>Pausanias 8.44.7.</ref>

== Mythology ==
After the death of [[Eurystheus]], [[Hyllus]] led the [[Heracleidae]] to attack [[Mycenae]]. Echemus offered himself as the champion of the defending Arcadian forces and killed Hyllus in single combat, thus forcing the Heracleidae to withdraw.<ref name=":0" /> This story is mentioned by the [[Tegea]]ns as an example of their people's bravery in book 9 of ''[[Histories (Herodotus)|The Histories]]'' by [[Herodotus]]; who puts in connection with a debate between the Tegeans and [[Athens|Athenians]] about who should cover the left part of the Hellenic army at the [[Battle of Plataea]], the last major battle of the [[Persian Wars]].<ref>Herodotus ''The Histories'' 9.26.</ref> [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] further lists this among the most important achievements of the Tegeans.<ref>Pausanias 8.45.3.</ref> Echemus defeat of Hyllus allegedly stopped the arrival of the [[Dorians]] in the [[Peloponnese]], and the events were considered to have taken place when the Peloponnese was unified under rule of [[Tisamenus (son of Orestes)|Tisamenus.]]<ref>Pseudo-Apollodorus 2.8.2.</ref>

When visiting Tegea, Pausanias was shown the tomb of Echemus and a relief depicting his victory over Hyllus.<ref>Pausanias 8.53.10.</ref> A late Classical relief, now in the [[Archaeological Museum of Tegea]], shows an inscription with the name Echemus.<ref>Karapanagiotou, A. (2017) 52.</ref><ref>Archaeological Museum of Tegea Inventory Number: 2394.</ref>

Echemus was the victor in wrestling during the first Olympic games established by Heracles.<ref>[[Pindar]], ''Olympian Odes'' 10.65 ff.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Literature==
*[[Hesiod]], ''Catalogue of Women'' from ''Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica'' translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914. 
*Karapanagiotou, A. (2017) ''Archaeological Museum of Tegea: Guide,'' Athens: Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports/Ephorate of Antiquities of Arcadia.
*[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], ''Description of Greece'' with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0160 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library]
*Pindar, ''The Odes of Pindar'' including the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0161 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library]
*Pretzler, Maria (1999) "Myth and History at Tegea - Local Traditio and Community Identity". In T.H Nielsen and J. Roy eds. ''Defining Ancient Arkadia,'' Munksgaard: Copenhagen, 89–120.

[[Category:Mythological kings of Arcadia]]
[[Category:Mythological Arcadians]]
[[Category:Ancient Tegeans]]
[[Category:Tegea]]