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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Olympian Gods >> Anicetus & Alexiares (Aniketos & Alexiares)

ANIKETOS & ALEXIARES

Greek Name

Ανικητος

Αλεξιαρης

Transliteration

Anikêtos

Alexiarês

Latin Spelling

Anicetus

Alexiares

Translation

Unconquerable

Warding-Off-War

ANIKETOS (Anicetus) and ALEXIARES were two Olympian demigods who presided over the defence and fortification of towns and citadels. Their names mean "the unconquerable one" from the Greek anikêtos and "he who wards off war" from alexis and arês. They were sons of Herakles (Heracles) and Hebe who were born after the hero's ascension to Olympos. The pair were probably the gatekeepers of Olympos, a role which was also assigned to their immortal father.

Aniketos and Alexiares were probably the same as the "Princes"--two boy-god sons of Herakles worshipped in Thebes. In Aiskhylos' (Aeschylus') play the Seven Against Thebes, Zeus is invoked as Alexeterios by the defending Thebans.

PARENTS

HERAKLES & HEBE (Apollodorus 2.158)

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 158 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"[Herakles] achieved immortality, and when Hera's enmity changed to friendship, he married her daughter Hebe (Youth), who bore him sons Alexiares and Aniketos (Anicetus)."

SOURCES

GREEK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.