In Greek mythology, Lycurgus was a king of Tegea in Arcadia, the son of Aleus and Neaera. He inherited the throne after his father and was notorious for ambushing and killing the warrior Areithous in a narrow pass to seize his famous armor. He was the father of several Argonauts and Calydonian hunters, including Ancaeus, but is said to have outlived his sons. He should be distinguished from the several other figures of Greek myth and history who bear the same name.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Lycurgus of Arcadia" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Lycurgus was the son of Aleus, king of Tegea, and of Neaera, daughter of Pereus. His siblings included Cepheus and Amphidamas (both reckoned among the Argonauts in some accounts), the priestess Auge, and Alcidice.
By his wife — variously named Cleophyle, Eurynome, or Antinoe — Lycurgus fathered the sons Ancaeus, Epochus, Amphidamas, and Iasius. The genealogies of this Tegean house vary between the ancient authors: Amphidamas in particular is given as a son of Lycurgus in one tradition (Apollodorus) but as a son of Aleus, and thus Lycurgus's brother, in others (Apollonius of Rhodes and Pausanias).
II.Mythology
On the death of Aleus, Lycurgus took the kingdom of Tegea as the eldest son. He became notorious for ambushing the warrior Areithous in a narrow passage where Areithous could not wield his iron club; having killed him, Lycurgus took his famous armor as spoils and in later years gave it to his follower Ereuthalion. The Arcadians commemorated this victory with a feast called the Moleia.
Lycurgus was said to have outlived his sons. Epochus died of an illness, while Ancaeus, who had sailed with the Argonauts, was killed by the Calydonian Boar. Lycurgus was eventually succeeded on the throne of Tegea by Echemus, son of Aeropus.
III.Other figures of the name
Lycurgus of Arcadia is distinct from several other figures named Lycurgus in Greek myth and history. The best known is Lycurgus of Sparta, the legendary lawgiver credited with establishing the city's eunomia, or good order.
Among the mythological namesakes are Lycurgus of Thrace, son of Dryas, who opposed the god Dionysus; Lycurgus of Nemea, son of Pheres, in whose household the infant Opheltes (Archemorus) died; and Lycurgus, son of Pronax. These figures are unrelated to the Arcadian king and are kept separate in the sources despite the shared name.