Eryx

In Greek mythology, Eryx was a king of the city of Eryx in Sicily. He was either the son of Poseidon, or of Aphrodite and Butes the Argonaut of the Elymian people of Sicily who she spent several nights with at Lilybaeum to make Adonis jealous. Eryx was an excellent boxer but died when Heracles beat him in a match.

A different Eryx, one of the supporters of Phineus, was turned to stone by Perseus with the head of the Gorgon Medusa.

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Eryx (genus)

Eryx is a genus of nonvenomous boas found in southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia. Nine species are currently recognized.

Geographic range

Found in southeastern Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia.

Description

Head not distinct from neck. Dorsal surface of head covered with small scales. Rostral large. Eye small or very small. Pupil vertical. Anterior maxillary teeth and anterior mandibular teeth longer than posterior teeth. Body cylindrical. Dorsal scales smooth or keeled. Tail very short, either not prehensile or only slightly prehensile. Subcaudals single (undivided).

Species

In addition to the species listed below, the genus formerly included three species now placed in the genus Gongylophis.

*) Not including the nominate subspecies.
^T) Type species.

Taxonomy

A new species, E. borrii, found in Somalia, was described by Lanza and Nistri (2005). The specific name, borrii, is in honor of Italian zoologist Marco Borri.

Eryx (Sicily)

Eryx (Greek: Ἔρυξ), was an ancient city and a mountain in the west of Sicily, about 10 km from Drepana (modern Trapani), and 3 km from the sea-coast. It was located at the site of modern Erice.

The mountain

The mountain, now called Monte San Giuliano, is a wholly isolated peak, rising in the midst of a low undulating tract, which causes its elevation to appear much more considerable than it really is, so that it was regarded in ancient as well as modern times as the most lofty summit in the whole island next to Aetna, though its real elevation does not exceed 2184 English feet. Hence we find Eryx alluded to by Virgil and other Latin poets as a mountain of the first order of magnitude, and associated with Athos, Aetna, etc. On its summit stood a celebrated temple of Venus or Aphrodite, founded, according to the current legend, by Aeneas, from whence the goddess derived the surname of Venus Erycina, by which she is often mentioned by Latin writers.

Foundation legends

Another legend, followed by Diodorus, ascribed the foundation both of the temple and city to an eponymous hero named Eryx, who was said to have received Hercules on his visit to this part of Sicily, and contended with that hero in a wrestling match, but was vanquished by him. This Eryx was a son of Aphrodite and Butes, a king of the country, and is hence repeatedly alluded to by Virgil as a brother of Aeneas, though that poet does not refer to him the foundation of the city. The legends which connected it with Aeneas and a Trojan chief named Elymus evidently pointed to what we learn from Thucydides as an historical fact, that Eryx as well as Segesta was a city of the Elymi, a Sicilian tribe, which is represented by almost all ancient writers as of Trojan descent.