Introduction
Arcas is a son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto, and the legendary ancestor and eponym of Arcadia, the mountainous region of the central Peloponnese.
Family
- Father: Zeus
- Mother: Callisto
- Siblings: Persephone, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe, Eileithyia, Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania, Perseus, Heracles, Epaphus, Aeacus, Dardanus, Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon, Pollux (Polydeuces), Helen, Amphion, Zethus
Near-tragedy and transformation
Raised without knowledge of his mother's transformation into a bear, Arcas nearly killed her while out hunting years later, not recognising her; Zeus intervened just in time, transforming both mother and son into neighbouring constellations, generally identified as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (or, in some versions, Boötes).
Legacy
As king of the region later named Arcadia in his honour, Arcas is credited in various local traditions with teaching his people agriculture and other early skills of civilisation.