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Alcmaeon

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A tragic hero in Greek myth who slew his mother Eriphyle to avenge his father Amphiaraus, fulfilling a divine command yet suffering guilt.

Detailed Definition
Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus, was commanded by Apollo to kill his mother Eriphyle for betraying his father. Haunted by Furies, he wandered until purified. His tale, part of the Theban cycle, appears in poetry as a symbol of filial duty, guilt, and the inescapability of fate.
Example
Example in poetry:
Apollodorus recounts Alcmaeon’s matricide and quest for purification after avenging his father; Pindar alludes to Alcmaeon in his Pythian Odes as a figure of tragic justice; Euripides’ lost play Alcmaeon in Psophis dramatized his wanderings; In Greek epic fragments, Alcmaeon leads the Epigoni against Thebes; Later poets use him as an example of the burden of familial duty.
Additional Notes
Alcmaeon, son of Amphiaraus, kills his mother Eriphyle to avenge his father, then wanders seeking purification—a classic matricide narrative. His story appears in the Theban and Argive cycles. Students should compare him to Orestes: both are caught in familial curses, but Alcmaeon’s quest is more geographically diffuse. His eventual death by his wife’s relatives underscores the inescapability of blood guilt. Useful for studying the “Epigoni” (next-generation heroes) and pollution (miasma) in Greek tragedy. Related: Amphiaraus, Eriphyle, the Seven Against Thebes.
Also Known As
Alcmaeon the Avenger Son of Amphiaraus Exile of Argos Purifier of Matricide
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