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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Rustic Gods >> River Gods >> Ascanius (Askanios)

ASKANIOS

Greek Name

Ασκανιος

Transliteration

Askanios

Latin Spelling

Ascanius

Translation

River Ascanius

ASKANIOS (Ascanius) was a river- and lake-god of western Bithynia in Anatolia (modern Turkey). His Naiad-nymphe daughters abducted the youth Hylas when he came to the stream to fetch water.

The Askanios River flowed from the lake of the same name in Eastern Bithynia emptying into the Propontis Sea near the town of Kios (Cius). The most important neighbouring rivers were the Rhyndakos (Rhyndacus) and the Aisepos (Aesepus) in the west, the Phyllis to the north, and mighty Saggarios (Sangarius) in the east.


PARENTS

Presumably OKEANOS & TETHYS

OFFSPRING

[1] THE NAIADES MYSIAI (Antoninus Liberalis 26)
[2] Perhaps MELIA


CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 26 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"When they [the Argonauts] reached the narrows of the Black Sea and were sailing past the headland of Arganthone, the waves began to toss in a storm. They dropped anchors and let the ship ride . . . The boy Hylas went carrying a pail to the River Askanios (Ascanius) to fetch water for the leaders. And when the Nymphai (Nymphs), who were the daughters of this River, saw and fell in love with him, they pulled him in."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 14 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"In Moesia near [the town of] Cios and the river Ascanius Hylas was snatched away by Nymphae (Nymphs)." [Cf. Antoninus Liberalis above.]


SOURCES

GREEK

ROMAN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.