Alcestis

Quartigod daughter of Pelias and Anaxibia; the most beautiful of the Peliades per Apollod. 1.9.15; the canonical-Euripidean tragic-protagonist of the Alcestis (438 BCE — the prosatyric drama performed in fourth position at the Dionysia). Married Admetus of Pherae after he yoked a lion and a boar to the same chariot with Apollo's help. When Admetus's appointed-death-day came and neither his aged parents nor any other agreed to die in his place, only Alcestis volunteered — the canonical-Greek voluntary-self-substitution-for-the-husband narrative-paradigm. Rescued from Hades by Heracles per the canonical-Euripidean tradition (Heracles wrestled Thanatos at the tomb); per Plato Symposium 179b-d, the gods admired her self-sacrifice so deeply that they granted her return-from-Hades. Mother of Eumelus, the Iliadic Pherae-contingent leader (Hom. Il. 2.715-716).

Parentage

• father: PeliasApollod. 1.9.10 (primary)
• parent: Anaxibia daughter of Bias

Children

• Eumelus

Powers

• Chose to die in her husband's place

Relations

• spouse: Admetus
• father: PeliasApollod. 1.9.10 (primary)
• mother: Anaxibia (daughter of Bias) per Apollod. 1.9.10 · GreekApollod. 1.9.10 (primary)
• sibling: AcastusApollod. 1.9.10 (primary)
• spouse: Admetus (king of Pherae, host of Apollo during the god's year of mortal-servitude per Eur. Alc. 1-7) · GreekHom. Il. 2.715-716; Eur. Alc. (primary)
• mother of: Eumelus (king of Pherae, Iliadic catalogue 2.711-715, suitor of Helen, Trojan-War contingent-leader) · GreekHom. Il. 2.715-716 (primary)

Sources

• existence: Apollodorus, Library 1.9.10, 1.9.15 (primary); Euripides, Alcestis (438 BCE — the canonical-Euripidean tragic-protagonist source) (primary); Plato, Symposium 179b-d (primary); Hyginus, Fabulae 50-51 (primary); Homer, Iliad 2.715-716 (Alcestis as wife of Admetus and mother of Eumelus) (primary)