Acacus (mythology) explained

Acacus (Ancient Greek: Ἄκακος or Ἄκακον means 'harmless, guileless'), in Greek mythology, was a king of Acacesium (Ἀκακήσιον) in Arcadia. He was one of the 50 sons of the impious King Lycaon^[1] either by the naiad Cyllene,^[2] Nonacris^[3] or by unknown woman. Acacus was the foster-father of the infant Hermes.^[4]

Maia gave birth to Hermes at dawn in a sacred cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, and he was raised by Acacus. He was believed to be the founder of the Arcadian town of Acacesium where he was king.^[5]

References

• Dionysus of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities. English translation by Earnest Cary in the Loeb Classical Library, 7 volumes. Harvard University Press, 1937-1950. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
• Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Antiquitatum Romanarum quae supersunt, Vol I-IV. . Karl Jacoby. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1885. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• 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. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.

Notes and References

1. [Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]
2. [Dionysius of Halicarnassus]
3. Pausanias, 8.17.6
4. Pausanias, 8.36.10
5. Pausanias, 8.3.2