Genealogy Bits: The Kings of Athens
From Ericthonius to Theseus
Prelude
Drawing mythological family trees has been a longtime passion of mine, as well as one of the few areas where my professional training as an architect has proven to be a distinctly positive differentiator. After all, producing genealogical diagrams while also having a command of computer-aided design software really takes them to a different level. As you’ll see, years of using AutoCAD and Illustrator allowed my family trees to evolve from childish scribbles (Fig. 1) to cogent, multi-layered diagrams (Fig. 2).
Despite the advantages of computer drafting, I find mapping genealogy still presents several inherent challenges:
Conflicting versions. By which I don’t just mean how different sources often disagree on say, something like parentage; but how entire characters can sometimes overlap, merge and dissociate so that their genealogy becomes irreconcilable.
Circuit board graphics. Even with the digital tools to better adjust and re-format these diagrams, the resulting network of family relations is so vast that it is difficult to consolidate without compromising legibility.
Information layers. The more precisely a family tree can be drawn, the more one is tempted to include additional data points, like literary sources, etymologies, life and deeds, etc.
Though the quest to build a holistic genealogy for an entire mythological corpus may appear quixotic, I believe it is attainable. To do so, however, and in the specific case of Greek Mythology ―which is where I’ll begin― I propose that we complement two structural imageries:
the first is the family tree, useful to map generations of humans ―from Deucalion to Telemachus― given the relative modularity of their lifespans;
the second is the hydrological map that waters that tree, which is useful to map the generations of gods who immortally percolate down through all human generations, interfering with their lives (mostly through sex and death).
The Kings of Athens
Occasionally, I will use Applied Mythology to share genealogical excerpts I keep on the back burner, and which are relevant to our theme du jour. In this case, as an introduction to my upcoming piece on Theseus and Vigilantism, I’ll be presenting a lineage of the Kings of Athens, from the legendary half-man / half-snake Ericthonius, born from a failed attempt to rape Athena by Hephaestus, to the appearance of Theseus, six generations later.
This is just one piece of a puzzle which I’ll stitch together with others through time, and which —be advised— is best enjoyed on a wide-screen desktop monitor.
Coming up next. My long-overdue first paywall article on Theseus, vigilantism and Kyle Rittenhouse.
…and a Fun Fact. The worst Greek Mythology family tree (outside middle school projects and Percy Jackson fanfic) has to be, hands down, the one at Wikipedia. Accuracy means nothing if your graphics have the aesthetic value of a kid’s activity restaurant placemat.
