In Greek mythology, Pelasgus (Ancient Greek: Πελασγός, Pelasgós) is the eponymous ancestor of the Pelasgians, the mythical earliest inhabitants of Greece, and several distinct local traditions attach the name to different founder-figures. In the Arcadian tradition he is the autochthon and first king of Arcadia — by some accounts the first man — who civilized its savage inhabitants and fathered Lycaon. The ancient sources disagree about his origin and connections, variously making him a son of the soil or a son of Zeus by Niobe, so the contradictions among the regional versions are recorded side by side rather than resolved.
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I.Arcadian Pelasgus
In the Arcadian tradition Pelasgus is either an autochthon — sprung directly from the soil — or a son of Zeus by Niobe (in which case he is the brother of Argus), or a son of Arestor (himself son of Iasus or Ecbasus). By the Oceanid Meliboea, the nymph Cyllene, or Deianeira, he became the father of Lycaon and Temenus.
According to a Hellenistic version of the myth, Pelasgus came from Argos, civilized the hitherto savage natives of Arcadia, and founded the city of Parrhasia.
A distinct figure of the same name is also recorded as Pelasgus, son of Arcas.
II.Inachid Pelasgoí of Argos
Several figures named Pelasgus belong to the Inachid royal line of Argos. One is credited with founding the city of Argos in the Peloponnese, teaching its people agriculture, and receiving the goddess Demeter during her wanderings.
The Argive Pelasgoí are kept separate in the tradition from the Arcadian autochthon; their genealogies tie them to the house of Inachus rather than to the founder-king of Arcadia.
III.Thessalian Pelasgoí
A further Pelasgus belongs to Thessaly, where the name is associated with a son of Poseidon and with the establishment of Thessalian settlements.
As in the other regions once held by Pelasgians, the Thessalian version reflects local claims to the Pelasgian ancestor rather than a single, unified genealogy.
IV.Homeric Pelasgus
Homer's Iliad names a Pelasgus in connection with the Pelasgians who fought as allies of Troy, where the figure is remembered for bravery.
This Homeric Pelasgus stands apart from the founder-kings of Argos, Arcadia, and Thessaly, illustrating how the name recurs across the epic and local traditions.
V.Other character
A Pelasgus, also called Pelagon, is recorded as a son of the river-god Asopus, distinct from the regional founder-figures.