Aglaulus

Aglaulus, daughter of Actaeus, king of Athens. She married Cecrops and became the mother of Erysichthon, Aglaulus (see below), Herse, and Pandrosus.

Aglaulus, daughter of Cecrops and the Aglaulus listed above. According to Apollodorus, Hephaestus attempted to rape Athena but was unsuccessful. His semen fell on the ground, impregnating Gaia. Gaia didn't want the infant Erichthonius, so she gave the baby to Athena. Athena gave three sisters--Herse, Pandrosus and Aglaulus--the baby in a small box and warned them to never open it. Aglaulus and Herse opened the box which contained the infant future king, Erichthonius. The sight caused Herse and Aglaulus to go insane and they threw themselves off the Acropolis. According to Pausanias, she is the daughter of Actaeus. An alternative version of the same story is that, while Athena was gone bringing a mountain from Pallene to use in the Acropolis, the sisters, minus Pandrosus again, opened the box. A crow witnessed the opening and flew away to tell Athena, who fell into a rage and dropped the mountain (now Mt. Lykabettos). Once again, Herse and Aglaulus went insane and threw themselves to their deaths off a cliff. Alternatively, Aglaulus died willingly, sacrificing herself after an oracle said such a sacrifice would save Athens from a siege. In another story of Aglaulus' fate, Hermes loved Herse but a jealous Aglaulus stood between them and refused to move. Hermes changed her to stone. Cephalus was the son of Hermes and Herse. Aglaulus had two offspring, Alcippe (with Ares) and Ceryx (with Hermes).

Aglaulus, daughter of Erectheus and Procris, his daughter. Aglaulus is also known as Aglauros (most commonly), Aglaurus, Aglaulos, Agraulus, Agravlos, or Agraulos. Agraulos ("countryside flute") was probably the original form of the name, with the r and l commonly switched to produce the prevalent Aglauros form.

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