Archelaus

An ancient bishop of the Christian church, from Kashkar, in Mesopotamia. It should be noted, however, that there is some dispute over his place of origin, too long to relate in depth here. His feast day is December 26.

St. Archelaus is most well known for his Disputation with Mani - Manes in the Latin - founder of Manicheism, which occurred in 277 AD. He is thus best known for fighting the Manicheist heresy of the time.

Αρχελαος

The son of Temenus and a descendant of Heracles (Table 16). He was banished from the town of Argos and made his way to the court of King Cisseus in Macedonia. At the time Cisseus was besieged by his enemies, who were on the point of overwhelming him. He promised Archelaus both his daughter and his throne in return for deliverance. Archelaus, true to the example of his ancestor Heracles, remedied the situation in a single battle and saved Cisseus. But the latter, under the influence of wicked advisers, refused to grant the promised reward and, in order to wipe out all trace of his bad faith, planned to put Archelaus to death. For this purpose he had a huge pit prepared, filled with glowing coals and covered with a layer of branches. But Archelaus, warned of the plot by one of the king's slaves, asked for a secret interview with Cisseus and threw him into the pit. Then, in obedience to a command from Apollo, he left the town and followed a she-goat which he met on his way. The goat led him to a place in Macedonia where he founded a town and named it Aege in honour of the goat which had led him there (αιζ, goat). Archelaus was said to be a direct ancestor of Alexander of Macedon.

{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}

Table of Sources:
- Hyg. Fab. 219
- Euripides, Archelaus (lost tragedy, Nauck TGF, edn 2, pp. 426ff.)