Lux Nova
The Secret Vault: Lux Nova


Please complete the highlighted fields

Register Password Reset

Greek Gods and Goddess: Xuthus

[ Home ] [ Books ] [ Encyclopedia ]

Introduction to Xuthus


In this article, we look at Xuthus and the myths and legends surrounding Xuthus , Xuthus relationship to and with other Greek Gods and Goddess and key events and stories which relate to ancient astrology and the changing seasons.

About Xuthus

Was a son of Hellen and Orseis, who fled Athens after being accused of theft by his brothers, he married Creusa, the daughter of Erechtheus (the serpent), by whom he had apparently three children Ion, Dorus and Achaeus, forefathers of the Ionian, Dorian and Achean tribes, who with the Aeolians formed the basis of the Greek Race. But Xuthus did not fare well in Athens, it is recorded that Ion was in fact born of a union between, Creusa and Apollo, when he was born, Apollo whisked him away to Delphi where he was named Ion and brought up by the priests. Xuthus and Creusa had not managed to produce any offspring at that time, so Xuthus consulted the Delphic oracle, as to whether they would have any children, to his astonishment he was informed that the first person he meet on leaving the oracle would be his son. As he left the oracle he bumped into Ion, and Xuthus decided that as he was a training priest that he must have fathered him when he had participated in the Dionysaic orgies in previous years, during which the priestesses of Dionysus acted as shrine whores; as Ion had no idea who his father and mother were, he accepted he was his son. But when Xuthus returned with Ion, Creusa his wife was enraged, that he should have a son, by another when she had remined barren. She hatched a plan to kill Ion, and offered him a cup of poisoned wine, however perhaps because of his priestly training, Ion first pours out some of the wine as a libation to the gods, just as the writers of Egypt poured out some water, on the hem of their clothes before they started to write. A dove flew down and sipped the wine and died instantly, Creusa fearing for her life quickly fled to Apollo's temple and clung to the altar. Soon enough the vengeful Ion arrived and tried to drag her away from it, when the just in time the temple priestess appeared and explained that he was the son of Apollo, via Creusa, but that neither of them should reveal the truth to Xuthus, and that Creusa would indeed bare children by Xuthus, which he consequently did. However, the situation became worse when Erechtheus died, and he was chosen to judge which of Erechtheus sons should inherit the throne, he judged on the side of Cecrops his brother-in-law, but this so upset two Erechtheus' sons, he was banished and later died in Aegialus, later known as Achaia.

Popular Greek Gods and Goddess related to Xuthus

Articles and Books of Greek Gods and Goddess