Nyctimus

In Greek mythology, Nyctimus (Ancient Greek: Νύκτιμος Nyktimos) was the youngest of the fifty sons of the Arcadian king Lycaon possibly by Nonacris, his wife.[1]

Nyctimus is also a spider genus (Thomisidae)

Mythology

Nyctimus' role in the death of Lycaon varies from source to source. One version tells that he was killed and served up as part of a feast to Zeus;[2][3] and was later brought back to life.[4] Another story claims that he was the only son of Lycaon to survive the blast of thunderbolts of Zeus as a result of the interference of Gaia who quickly laid hold of his right hand and so appeased his wrath.[5] In both versions, Nyctimus succeeds his father as king of Arcadia. His rule was short-lived, however, due to floods in the age of Deucalion, which some speculate was caused by the impiety of his brothers.[6]

According to Pausanias, Arcadia increased in the number on both of its cities and population and Nyktimos who was the eldest son of Lycaon possessed all the power while his other brothers founded cities on the sites they considered best.[7]

Interpretation

Some scholars identify Lycaon with Zeus Lycaeus, Zeus in his role as god of light, who slays Nyctimus (the dark), or is succeeded by him, in allusion to the perpetual succession of night and day.

The succession of Nyctimus to the throne of Arcadia was explained by Sir James George Frazier in his notes to Apollodorus' The Library:

... we may conjecture that among the ancient Greeks or their ancestors inheritance was at one time regulated by the custom of ultimogeniture or the succession of the youngest, as to which see Folk-Lore in the Old Testament, i.429ff. In the secluded highlands of Arcadia, where ancient customs and traditions lingered long, King Lycaon is said to have been succeeded by his youngest son [i.e. Nyctimus].[6]

References
  1. Pausanias, Description of Greece, 8. 17. 6
  2. Shuckford, S. The sacred and profane history of the world connected: from the creation of the world to the dissolution of the Assyrian empire at the death of Sardanapalus, and to the declension of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel under the reigns of Ahaz and Pekah: including the dissertation on the creation and fall of man, Volume 3, Baynes 1808 p126
  3. Clement of Alexandria. Exhortations, 2.33
  4. Atsma, A. (2007). LYCAON: King of Arcadia; Greek mythology: LYKAON. THEOI, E-TEXTS LIBRARY. Retrieved December 6, 2013, from http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Lykaon.html
  5. Pseudo-Apollodorus. Bibliotheca, 3.8.1
  6. Footnote 1 as cited in Pseudo-Apollodorus. Bibliotheca, 3.8.2
  7. Pausanias. Description of Greece, 8.3.1
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