Alkmeon

Returning from a campaign against Thebes, Alcmaeon fulfilled the will of his father Amphiaraya and took revenge on his mother for the death of his father. Alcmaeon killed his mother with his own hand. Dying, the mother cursed the killer son and cursed the country that would give him shelter.

The avenging goddesses were angry The Erinii attacked Alcmaeon and pursued him wherever he tried to hide. The unfortunate Alcmaeon wandered for a long time, trying everywhere to find shelter and purification from the filth of spilled blood. Finally, he came to the city of Psofida, in Arcadia. There the king Fegey cleansed him from the filth of murder. Alkmeon married the daughter of Phegeus Arsinoe and thought to live peacefully in Psofida. But fate did not promise him this. His mother's curse haunted him. Terrible famine and pestilence spread in Psofida. Death reigned everywhere. Alcmaeon turned to the oracle of Delphi, and the oracle Pythia answered him that he should leave Psophis and go to the god of the river, Aheloy; there only he will be cleansed from the murder of his mother and will find peace in a country that did not yet exist when his mother cursed him. Having left the house of Fege, his wife Arsinoe and son Clytia, Alcmaeon went to Acheloi. On the way, he visited Oiney in Kalidon, who hospitably received him.

There was an Alcmaeon and fesprots, but they drove him out of their country, fearing the wrath of the gods. Finally, Alkmeon came to the istomki Acheloy. There the god of the river Aheloy cleansed him from the filth of his mother's spilled blood and gave his daughter to him Kalliroya. Alkmeon settled at the mouth of the Acheloi River on an island formed from deposited sand and silt. This was the country that did not yet exist when Alcmaeon's mother cursed.

And here the fate of Alcmaeon pursued. Kalliroya found out about the precious necklace and the clothes woven by Athena-Pallas, which were presented by Polynices and his son Fersander Eriphile, and demanded that her husband bring these treasures to her. Kalliroya did not know that these treasures brought death to the one who owned them. Alcmaeon went to Psophis and demanded from Phegeus that he give him the necklace and clothes. Alcmaeon told Phegeus that he wanted to dedicate these treasures to the oracle of Delphi in order to receive a petition from the god of the arrow. Fegei gave the treasures to Alcmaeon, believing his words. But Alcmaeon's slave told Phegeus to whom both the necklace and the clothes were intended. Fegei got angry, called his sons, Pronoy and Agenor, and ordered them to ambush Alcmaeon when he was returning to the mouth of the Acheloi. They fulfilled their father's command and killed Alcmaeon.

Learned about the death of her husband Arsinoe, the first wife of Alcmaeon; she still loved him. She cursed her brothers in grief. The brothers took her to the king Agapenor in Arcadia and, accusing her of having killed Alcmaeon, put her to death.

Kalliroya also found out about Alcmaeon's death. She decided to take revenge on the sons of Fegei and himself for the murder of her husband. But who could be the avenger? Kalliroi's sons, Akarnan and Amphoter, were still infants and lay in the cradle. She prayed to Zeus Kalliroya, so that he would immediately make her sons mighty youths. Zeus heeded Kalliroi's pleas. In one night, her sons grew up and matured. They went to Tegea to King Agapenor and killed the sons of Phegeus there. Then they killed Fegei himself in Psofid. So the gifts that Eriphila had once received from Polynices and Fersander brought death on Fegei and the whole family.

They took a precious necklace and clothes woven by Athena, Acarnan and Amphoterus and dedicated them, with the consent of the mother, to the Delphic Apollo. Akarnan and Amphoter did not stay in their homeland. They settled in a country that was named after Akarnan Akarnania, and founded a new kingdom there.