Cercyon

Cercyon (Greek: Κερκύων, -ονος) was a figure in Greek mythology. He was the King of Eleusis, and a very strong man. According to the different versions, he was the son of:
*Poseidon and one of the daughters of Amphictyon,Комментарий Д.О.Торшилова в кн. Гигин. Мифы. СПб, 2000. С.179 or
*Poseidon and the nymph Argiope,Мифы народов мира. М., 1991-92. В 2 т. Т.1. С.640-641 or
*Branchus and the nymph Argiope,Схолии к Платону. Законы VII 796а // Примечания А.А.Тахо-Годи в кн. Платон. Собрание сочинений. М., 1990-94. В 4 т. Т.4. С.747 or
*Hephaestus.Гигин. Мифы 158
He had two children, Alope and Hippothous.
He stood on the roads around Eleusis and challenged passers-by to a wrestling match. The loser (always the passer-by) was murdered, though Cercyon promised his kingdom to anyone who won. He was eventually beaten and killed by Theseus,Аполлодор|Псевдо-Аполлодор. Мифологическая библиотека Э I 3; Вакхилид. Дифирамбы XVIII 26 who took over the kingdom of Eleusis. Theseus won owing to his skill, rather than superiority in brute physical strength. With this, Theseus started the sport of wrestling.Павсаний. Описание Эллады I 39, 3
Cercyon's daughter, Alope, had an affair with (or was raped by) Poseidon, and she beget Hippothoon (or Hippothous). Cercyon had his daughter buried alive, but Poseidon turned her into the spring, Alope, near Eleusis.
==Other figures of the same name==
Cercyon is also the name of the son of Agamedes, and the father of Hippothous, who succeeded Agapenor as king of Arcadia when he did not return from Troy.
== References ==
*In Russian:
Category:Greek Mythology