In Greek mythology, Lycus was a prince of Athens, a son of King Pandion II who later came to rule in Megara. After their father's death, he and his brothers Aegeus, Nisus, and Pallas recovered Athens from Metion's family and divided the rule among themselves, with Aegeus taking the kingship. Driven out of Athens by Aegeus, Lycus was said to have introduced Aphareus and his household to the rites of the Great Goddess, and in one tradition reported by Herodotus he gave his name to Lycia in Asia Minor.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Lycus (son of Pandion II)" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Etymology
The name Lycus (Ancient Greek: Λύκος, romanized: Lúkos) literally means "wolf."
According to Herodotus, Lycus gave his name to Lycia in Asia Minor, a land that had until then been known as Tremilis, or Termilae. Modern scholars, however, treat this connection with caution: T. R. Bryce, for example, judged that the Lycus tradition is probably a pseudo-myth of no great antiquity, the product of political or genealogical motivations rather than a record of historical fact.
II.Family
Lycus was a son of King Pandion II of Athens. His mother was Pylia, daughter of King Pylas of Megara, the city from which his father's line drew its connection to the Megarid.
His brothers were Aegeus, Nisus, and Pallas, and he was also brother to the wife of Sciron.
III.Mythology
Following the death of Pandion, Lycus and his brothers recovered Athens, which had been seized by the family of Metion. The brothers then divided the government of the city among themselves in four parts, but it was Aegeus who became king.
Pausanias reports that, after he had been driven out of Athens by his brother Aegeus, Lycus came to Aphareus and introduced him and his family to the rites of the Great Goddess, the deity later identified with Demeter.
In a separate tradition recorded by Herodotus, Lycus is said to have given his name to Lycia in Asia Minor, a country that had earlier been called Tremilis or Termilae.