Alcinous

In Greek mythology, Alcinous Greek (sometimes with the diacritical mark Alcinoüs; also transliterated as Alkínoös) was a son of Nausithous, or of Phaeax (son of Poseidon and Corcyra), and father of Nausicaa, Halius, and Laodamas with Arete. His name literally means "Mighty mind." He married his brother Rhexenor's daughter after Rhexenor was killed. This makes his wife also his niece, a classic example of the rampancy of inbreeding in Greek society.

He was King of the Phaiakians, in the island of Drepane which traditionally was thought to be modern Corfu but which modern scholars believe to have not existed, and welcomed both Odysseus who had been shipwrecked on his shore and the Argonauts. Much of the Odyssey is Odysseus telling of his adventures to King Alcinous.

Quotes

External links

• JC Loudon (1835) on the Garden of Alcinous

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Last updated on Tuesday March 04, 2008 at 18:36:50 PST (GMT -0800)
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