Augeias of Elis

Herakles cleaning the stables (Roman mosaic)

King Augeias of Elis is a character in Greek mythology. He was the son of Helios (the sun-god) and Iphiboë or Naupiadame, the daughter of Amphidamas. Some say his father was Poseidon. He was rich and happy because he had huge herds of cattle. His son was Phyleos. He is famous for his dirty cattle stables. Cleaning these stables was one of the Labors of Herakles. Augeias did not respect his part of the bargain made with Herakles in the cleaning of the stables. Herakles took him to court. Augeias's son testified against his father. Augeias drove both his son and Herakles out of the land. Herakles later came back to make war on Augeias. The hero would found the sanctuary of Olympia and the Olympic Games near Elis.

References

• Graves, Robert (1960), The Greek Myths, London: Penguin Books, pp. 478–79, ISBN 0-14-017199-1