In Greek mythology, Amphictyon was a king of Thermopylae and later of Athens, and in one account a ruler of Locris. He was usually counted the second son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, though an alternative tradition held that he was born from the earth (autochthonous). He deposed Cranaus to take the Athenian throne and was credited with founding the Amphictyonic League, the religious association of neighboring peoples that met at Thermopylae in historical times.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Amphictyon" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Etymology
The name Amphictyon is a back-formation from the plural form Amphictyons, which comes through Latin Amphictyones from Greek Amphiktyones (also spelled Amphiktiones). The word literally means "neighbors" or "those dwelling around," being formed from amphi- ("around") combined with -ktyones or -ktiones, an element derived from ktizein, "to found."
Cognate forms are found in Sanskrit kṣeti ("he dwells") and kṣiti ("abode"), in Avestan shitish ("dwelling"), and in Armenian šen ("inhabited" or "cultivated").
II.Family
Amphictyon was usually reckoned the second son of Deucalion and Pyrrha, although an alternative tradition held that he was autochthonous, that is, born from the earth. In yet another version he was made a son of Hellen, who in the first account is instead his brother. His other possible siblings included Protogeneia, Thyia, Pandora II, Melantho (Melanthea), and Candybus.
He married a daughter of Cranaus, king of Athens. Amphictyon fathered Itonus, who in turn became the father of Boeotus, Iodame, and Chromia by Melanippe. Amphictyon also had an unnamed daughter who bore Cercyon to Poseidon and Triptolemus to Rarus.
Some sources mention a further son, Physcus, born to Chthonopatra (a daughter of his brother Hellen), though others made Physcus the grandson of Amphictyon through Aetolus. In these later accounts the kingdom of Locris passed from Amphictyon to Aetolus, then to Physcus, and finally to Locrus, who gave his name to the region.
III.Mythology
According to one account, during the reign of Cranaus, Deucalion fled his kingdom at Lycoreia on Mount Parnassus at the time of the great flood and sought refuge at Athens together with his sons Hellen and Amphictyon. Amphictyon afterwards became king of Thermopylae, where he gathered those who dwelt around the temple, named them Amphictyons, and performed sacrifices on their behalf. His brother Hellen migrated to Phthiotis, where he set up his own rule.
Amphictyon eventually deposed Cranaus and declared himself king of Athens. He is said to have ruled for either ten or twelve years and to have established the Amphictyonic League, which in historical times traditionally met at Thermopylae. During his reign Dionysus is said to have visited him at Athens and taught him the proper proportions for mixing water with wine. Amphictyon was in turn dethroned by Erichthonius, another autochthonous king of Athens.