Academus

Ακαδημος

An Attic hero who disclosed to Castor and Pollux exactly where Theseus was holding their sister Helen prisoner when they were searching for her throughout Greece. His tomb was on the outskirts of Athens beyond the Ceramicus district and was surrounded by a sacred wood in which Plato set up his Academy. The name Academy is sometimes said to be derived from that of Echedemus, an Arcadian who accompanied Castor and Pollux in their search for Helen.

{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}

Table of Sources:
- Plutarch, Thes. 32
- Diog. Laert. 3, 7-8
- Steph. Byz. s.v. 'Εκαδημεια (sic)
- See also Theseus; Helen

From Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology (London, 1880)

ACADE'MUS (Academos), an Attic hero, who, when Castor and Polydeuces invaded Attica to liberate their sister Helen, betrayed to them that she was kept concealed at Aphidnae. For this reason the Tyndarids always showed him much gratitude, and whenever the Lacedaemonians invaded Attica, they always spared the land belonging to Academus which lay on the Cephissus, six stadia from Athens. (Plat. Thes. 32 ; Diog. Laert. iii. 1. § 9.) This piece of land was subsequently adorned with plane and olive plantations (Plut. Cim. 13), and was called Academia from its original owner.

L. S.

An original e-text for everything2. I scanned, OCR'd, formatted, and linked this text - it is not available in any format on any other web site. All Greek words are transliterated into Latin characters.