Erichthonius (son of Hephaestus)

For other uses, see Erichthonius.
See also: Erechtheus
Birth of Erichthonius: Athena receives the baby Erichthonius from the hands of the earth mother Gaia, Attic red-figure stamnos, 470–460 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen (Inv. 2413)

In Greek mythology, King Erichthonius (/ərɪkˈθoʊniəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἐριχθόνιος, romanized: Erikhthónios) was a legendary early ruler of ancient Athens. According to some myths, he was autochthonous (born of the soil, or Earth) and adopted or raised by the goddess Athena. Early Greek texts do not distinguish between him and Erechtheus,[1] his grandson, but by the fourth century BC, during Classical times, they are distinct figures.

  1. ^ Homer, Iliad 2.546–551