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Arcas

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

The son of Zeus and Callisto in Greek myth, transformed into a bear and later placed among the stars; ancestor of the Arcadian people.

Detailed Definition
Arcas was born to Callisto after her transformation into a bear; he later became a skilled hunter and king of Arcadia. Zeus placed both mother and son among the stars as Ursa Major and Minor. Poets reference Arcas to explore themes of identity, metamorphosis, and the bond between humans and the cosmos, often in pastoral or astronomical poetry.
Example
Example in poetry:
Arcas, son of Zeus and Callisto, became the constellation Arctophylax (Boötes); Poets use Arcas to symbolize filial recognition—Zeus placed him in stars to reunite with Callisto (Ursa Major); In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Arcas nearly kills his mother before divine intervention—ideal for tragic irony; “Arcas’ gaze” could describe celestial longing in lyric poetry; His name evokes the bond between earth and sky.
Additional Notes
Arcas, born of Zeus and Callisto (transformed into Ursa Major), becomes the eponym of Arcadia—a region idealized as a pastoral utopia. After nearly hunting his mother (as a bear), Zeus places both in the sky. Arcas’s story bridges human and celestial realms, making him relevant to myths of recognition, kinship, and cosmic justice. Later, Arcadia symbolizes lost innocence in pastoral poetry.
Also Known As
bear son Arcadian founder Callisto child
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