Ascalaphus
- a son of Acheron and Orphne, who made known to Pluto that Proserpine had eaten seven kernels of a pomegranate, on account of which he was changed by her into an illboding owl (bubo), Ov. M. 5, 539 sq.; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 4, 462.
(Ἀσκάλοφος).
1. A son of Ares and Astyoche, and brother of Ialmenus, together with whom he led the Minyans of Orchomenos against Troy, in thirty ships. (Hom. H. 2.511, &c.) In the war against Troy, he was slain by the hand of Deiphobus, at which Ares was filled with anger and indignation. (H. 13.519, &c., 15.110, &c.; comp. Paus. 9.37.3.) According to Apollodorus (1.9.16, 3.10.8) Ascalaphus was one of the Argonauts, and also one of the suitors of Helen. Hyginus in one passage (Fab. 97) calls Ascalaphus and lalmenus sons of Lycus of Argos, while in another (Fab. 159) he agrees with the common account. One tradition described Ascalaphus as having gone from Troy to Samareia, and as having been buried there by Ares. The name of Samareia itself was derived from this occurrence, that is, from σᾶμα or σῆμα and Ἄρης. (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1009.)
2. A son of Acheron by Gorgyra (Apollod. 1.5.3) or by Orphne. (Ov. Met. 5.540.) Servius (Serv. ad Aen. 4.462) calls him a son of Styx. When Persephone was in the lower world, and Pluto gave her permission to return to the upper, provided she had not eaten anything, Ascalaphus declared that she had eaten part of a pomegranate. Demeter (according to Apollodorus, l.c., 2.5.12) punished him by burying him under a huge stone, and when subsequently this stone was removed by Heracles, she changed Ascalaphus into an owl. According to Ovid, Persephone herself changed him into an owl by sprinkling him with water of the river Phlegethon. There is an evident resemblance between the mythus of Ascalabus and that of Ascalaphus. The latter seems to be only a modification or continuation of the former, and the confusion may have arisen from the resemblance between the words ἀσκάλαξος, a lizard, and ἀσκάλαφος, an owl. [L.S]
(Ἀσκάλαφος). (1) The son of Ares and Astyoché, who led, with his brother Ialmenus, the Minyans of Orchomenus against Troy, and was slain by Deïphobus (Il. ii. 512).
(2) The son of Acheron and Gorgyra or Orphné. When Pluto gave Persephoné (Proserpina) permission to return to the upper world, provided she had eaten nothing, Ascalaphus declared that she had eaten part of a pomegranate. Persephoné, in revenge, changed him into an owl by sprinkling him with water from the river Phlegethon (Ovid, Met. v. 540).
- bears witness against Demeter, punished in Hades: Apollod. 1.5.3
- relieved by Herakles: Apollod. 2.5.12
- turned into an owl: Apollod. 2.5.12
- king of Orchomenus: Paus. 9.37.7
- in the Argo: Apollod. 1.9.17
- suitor of Helen: Apollod. 3.10.7