Archelaus (Ancient Greek: Ἀρχέλαος means "leading the people, chief") was in Greek mythology a son of Temenus, a Heraclid, who, when expelled by his brothers, fled to king Cisseus in Macedonia.

Cisseus promised him the succession to his throne and the hand of his daughter, if he would assist him against his neighboring enemies. Archelaus performed what was asked of him; but when, after the defeat of the enemy, he claimed the fulfillment of the promise, Cisseus had a hole dug in the earth, filled it with burning coals, and covered it over with branches, that Archelaus might fall into it. The plan was discovered, and Cisseus himself was thrown into the pit by Archelaus, who then fled, but at the command of Apollo built the town of Aegae on a spot to which he was led by a goat.

According to some accounts, Alexander the Great was a descendant of Archelaus.^[1] Two other mythical personages of this name occur in the Bibliotheca.^[2]

There is a play telling the story of Archelaus, titled Archelaus, by Euripides.

Notes

References

• Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Schmitz, Leonhard (1870). "Archelaus". In Smith, William (ed.). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. p. 261.