In Greek mythology, Autolycus (; Ancient Greek: Αὐτόλυκος, romanized: Autólykos, lit. 'the wolf itself') was a robber who had the power to metamorphose or make invisible the things he stole. He had his residence on Mount Parnassus and was renowned among men for his cunning and oaths.
Contents
Family
There are a number of different accounts of the birth of Autolycus. According to most, he was the son of Hermes and Chione or Philonis. In Ovid's version, Autolycus was conceived after Hermes had intercourse with the virgin Chione. Pausanias instead states that Autolycus's real father was Daedalion. In some accounts, his mother was also called Telauge.
Depending on the source, Autolycus was the husband of Mestra (who could change her shape at will and was a daughter of Erysichthon), or of Neaera, or of Amphithea. He became the father of Anticlea (who married Laertes of Ithaca and was the mother of Odysseus) and several sons, of whom only Aesimus, father of Sinon was named. Autolycus's other daughter(s) Alcimede and/or Polymede (also called Polymele and Polypheme) were both called the mother of Jason, the famous Argonaut who led a group of men to find the coveted Golden Fleece. Likewise Autolycus was said to have joined the legendary journey.