Grimal
s.v. Cepheus (Κηφεύς) 1
- The king of Tegea in Arcadia; he was the son of Aleus and took part in the expedition of the Argonauts, as well as playing a part in the legend of Heracles. When the latter ... Sterope ... In some versions, Cepheus of Arcadia is represented as the son not of Aleus, but of Lycugus. In these versions Cepheus is said to have taken part in the hunt for the boar of Calydon.
- [Apoll. Rhod. Arg. 1.161ff.; Paus. 8.4.8, 8.5.1; 8.8.4; 8.9.5; 8.23.3; 8.47.5; Apollod. 2.7.3; Diod. Sic. 4.33
Hard
p. 279
- Since Hippokoon could call upon the support of many sons, Herakles visited Kepheus, king of Tegea, as he was passing through Arcadia, and invited him and his twenty sons to fight as his allies. Although Kepheus was reluctant to leave his city undefended, the hero persuaded him by providing his daughter with a lock of the Gorgon's hair that would put any attackers to flight if held up from the city walls (see further on p. 574 [sic: 547]).198 [Apd 2.7.3] With the support of these and other allies, Herakles killed Hippokoon and his sons in battle near Sparta and captured the city. The victory proved expensive, however, since Kepheus was killed along with all his sons (or all but three of them), as was Herakles' half-brother Iphikles (in one tradition ...)199 [Ibid. (Kepheus and sons killed and Iphikles killed); D.S. 4.33.5-6 (three sons of Kepheus survive).
p. 383
- [Argonauts] ... From among the heroes who are to be found in every catalogue and are not already named by Pindar, the following may be picked out as being most worthy of note: Admentos, ... Kepheus, son of Aleus, ...
p. 416
- [Calydonian boar hunters] ... Ankaios and Kepheus from Arcadia, ...
p. 544
- Aleos had two sons Lykourgos and Kepheus, who were both said to have ruled Tegea at some stage.176 [Apd. 3.9.1, Paus 8.4.8 (Amphidamas also as son; otherwise son of Lykourgos, e.g. Apd. 3.9.3 [sic: 3.9.2)]
p. 547
- Kepheus and Echemos of Tegea
- KEPHEUS, son of Aleus, the most significant brother of Lykourgos, was also said to have ruled Tegea at some stage. Like his father before him, he was supposed to have founded one of the sanctuaries of Athena in the city, in his case that of Athena Polias (Guardian of the City). If that was the case, it is fitting that the goddess should have helped him to protect the city by giving him a lock of the Gorgon's hair which would render it impregnable;200 [Paus. 8.47.6] she an be seen presenting it to him on Tegean coins. Since he had no fewer than twenty sons, Herakles sought his help when he was setting out to confront Hippokoon, king of Sparta, ...
p. 713
- Table 20 The Arcadian royal family
Parada
s.v. Aleus
- ...
- ••a)Neaera 3.
- ••b)Cleobule 1.
- ...
- ... ••a)Apd.3.9.1. ••b)Hyg.Fab.14.
- ...
s.v. Cepheus 2
- King of Tegea in Arcadia.
- •a)Aleus ∞ Neaera 3.
- •b)Aleus ∞ Cleobule.
- •c)Lycurgus 2 ∞
- ••
- •••Sterope 4, +Aeropus 2, ++Antinoe 1.
- ♇ Perished in battle helping Heracles 1 against the Lacedaemonians.
1)ARGONAUTS. 2)CALYDONIAN HUNTERS.
- D.Apd 2.7.3. G1.-•a)b)Hyg.Fab.14. G1.Val.1.375. G2.-•c)Apd.1.8.2. •••-♇Apd.2.7.3. •••+Pau.8.5.1. •••++Pau.8.8.4.
- Error: Source for •a) = Apd. 3.9.1 *not* Hyg.Fab.14! (see s.v. Aleus above)
Smith
s.v. Cepheus 2
- A son of Aleus and Neaera or Cleobule, and an Argonaut from Tegea in Arcadia, of which lie [sic: he?] was king. He had twenty sons and two daughters, and nearly all of his sons perished in an expedition which they had undertaken with Heracles. The town of Caphyae was believed to have derived its name from him. (Apollod. 1.9.16, 2.7.3, 3.9.1; Apollon. 1.161; Hyg. Fab. 14; Paus. 8.8.3, 23.3.)
s.v. Cepheus 3
- One of the Calydonian hunters. (Apollod. 1.8.2.)
Tripp
s.v. Cepheus 2
- A king of Tegea. Cepheus was a son of Aleüs and Neaera. As a youth, he, his brother Amphidamas, and their nephew Ancaeüs sailed with the Argonauts; Cepheus and Ancaeüs also hunted the Calydonian boar. Later Cepheus refused to join his former shipmate Heracles on his expedition against Sparta, fearing that Argive enemies would attack Tegea in his absence. Heracles gave Cepheus' daughter Sterope a lock of Medusa's hair with the promise that it would repel any enemy if she merely held it up three times on the city walls. Reassured, Cepheus marched with Heracles. Tegea did indeed remain safe, but Cepheus and all his sons except Echemus were killed in the war. Echemus vecame king of Arcadia after the death of Cepheus' elder brother Lycurgus. Another daughter of Cepheus, Aërope, died in bearing a child by Ares. Ares caused the child to survive by sucking its dead mother's breast. [Apollodorus 2.7.3; Apollonius of Rhodius 1.161-163; Pausanias 8.44.7-8, 8.47.5.]