Acastus — Greek mythological hero, Argonaut and king of Iolcus

Family and standing

Accounts differ over details of Acastus' parentage and household, a common situation with mythic genealogies. He is most commonly named as a son of Pelias, the king whose conflict with Jason is central to the Argonaut story. His wife is given various names in the sources; one frequent tradition calls her Astydameia. As a prince and later a king, Acastus functions as a local dynast whose fortunes are entwined with wider heroic narratives.

Principal myths

Two main strands bring Acastus into surviving tales. First, he sails as an Argonaut and is part of the broad ensemble of heroes whose deeds are remembered in epic and later retellings. Second, he is among the hunters at Calydon, an event that gathered many of the age's leading figures. After the overthrow or death of Pelias—an episode whose causes and agents are variously told, and which in some versions involves Jason and the sorceress Medea—Acastus is often named as the successor or as the ruler who takes charge of Iolcus.

Conflict with Peleus and later episodes

Later stories link Acastus with the hero Peleus. In several traditions Acastus' wife makes advances to Peleus; when he rejects her, she accuses him falsely, producing a quarrel that leads to an attempt on Peleus' life. Versions differ about the precise trick used and about how Peleus survives, and they disagree about the identity of Acastus' allies and the outcome: some tell of a vengeance raid in which Peleus, sometimes aided by Jason or other heroes, attacks Iolcus; other accounts present less violent resolutions. These variations reflect the fragmentary and local nature of many mythic traditions.

Sources and legacy

References to Acastus appear in the epic tradition and in later mythographers and poets. Major ancient compilations and the Argonautic epic tradition preserve his name and main associations, though details are uneven and often preserved only in summaries. Acastus does not have a major independent cult or a richly developed body of stories beyond his relations to better-known figures, yet he remains a useful example of how royal and regional tales were woven into the pan-Hellenic heroic cycles.

Notable points

• Acastus is consistently linked to Jason and the Argonautic expedition.
• He is one of the hunters of the Calydonian Boar in many accounts.
• After Pelias' fall he is often named as ruler of Iolcus, though traditions vary.
• Stories about his wife and Peleus illustrate common motifs of rejected advances, false accusation and revenge in Greek myth.