Sciron: The Ancient Greek Robber and a Warlord
Sciron was an infamous robber in Greek mythology. Around the same time, there was a fierce warlord, also named Sciron. On one side was a trickster who robbed people and left them to die at the hands of a sea monster whereas on the other hand was a brave war hero that won many wars for the Greek empire.
Here we bring you a detailed account of Sciron, the warlord and the robber, his origin, life, and death.
Sciron’s Origin
Sceiron, Skeiron, and Scyron are all names of the same Greek mythology bandit, the Sciron god, whose origin story of Sciron is very confusing. His parentage has been attributed to many different sets of parents across literature which makes it impossible to decide who truly birthed Sciron. Here is a list of possible parents of Sciron:
- Pelops and Hippodameia (King and Queen of Pisa)
- Canthus (Arcadian Prince) and Henioche (Princess of Lebadea)
- Poseidon and Iphimedeia (Thessalian Princess)
- Pylas (King of Megara) and an unknown Mistress
The above list contains some of the wealthiest people of the time. It is, therefore, a mystery why Sciron reverted to a life of bandits and robbers. In the same way, we can look at the list and understand why and how Sciron must have managed to become a famous warlord. Nevertheless, in both cases, Sciron had access to a lavish lifestyle and also royalty.
Sciron married more than once and had many offsprings. Some of which would go down in history as great Greek warriors. Endeis and Alycus are the most mention-worthy children of Sciron. Endeis is the mother of Telamon and Peleus, the infamous Greek war heroes among which Alycus has a noble status as well.
Sciron The Robber
Most famously Sciron is known as a notorious robber who robbed travelers. In ancient times, the traveling parties would carry a lot of belongings with them because the journeys were long and no one was sure if they would make it back to their homes alive. Hence, precious things like gold, gems, and money were always found by travelers. Sciron took advantage of this.
He would wait in the shadows and when he saw a wealthy traveling party he would rob them. What Sciron would do next is both appalling and genius. He would take the travelers down a narrow path and ask them to wash their feet in the river. As soon as they would kneel before him, Sciron would push them into the river.
A humongous sea turtle would be waiting in the river to grab the travelers. By doing this, Sciron would get rid of any evidence of his robbery and also take all the riches for himself. This way of robbery and then removing the evidence from the scene has made Sciron famous in Greek mythology. Many movies and shows have also attempted to adapt the character of Sciron because of his wit and non-conventional ways of life.
Sciron The Warlord
Plutarch who is a Greek philosopher and biographer argued that Sciron was not a robber but a great man with exceptional warfare qualities. He identified Sciron as the Megarian warlord. The Greek biographer, Plutarch gives some good arguments as to why Sciron could not have been a mere robber but a magnificent warlord and Plutarch might be telling the truth.
Firstly, the list of possible parentage of Sciron enlists some of the wealthiest people of the time. Sciron would not need to get out of his comfort zone to even fetch a glass of water for himself. Secondly, even though Sciron was famous, his offsprings and grandchildren were even more famous. His son, Alycus was a great warrior in the Greek army and his daughter married King Aeacus of Aegina and has Telamon and Peleus.
Telamon and Peleus are very famous warriors in Greek mythology. Peleus married Thetis and was the father of the great Achilles. All in all, Sciron had a well-known and well-off family and his chances of being a robber are less than being a respected warlord.
Sciron’s Appearance
Sciron had deep green-colored eyes and locks of curly black hair. He used to dress in long leather boots and leather breeches, furthermore, he is also known to wear a red bandana that would cover half of his face and a tucked-in pirate-style shirt. This looks and sits well with his robber persona.
For his appearance as a warlord, not many details are present. Surely, he must have worn the generic clothes of the army personnel of the time. Highly decorated and ornate clothes with accents of gold and blue color.
Sciron’s Death
The mythology only narrates the death story of Sciron as the robber and not the warlord. The death of Sciron was unexpected but became a part of a much bigger and more elaborate plot. Theseus was a great hero of the Attic legend. He was the son of Aegeus, the King of Athens, and Aethra, the daughter of Pittheus, the King of Troezen.
When Theseus reached manhood, Aethra sent him to Athens, and on his way, Theseus encountered many adventures. He was a good man and believed in doing good for others. He came to know of a robber who would first rob and then push the travelers into the water, killing them with the help of a giant sea turtle.
He disguised himself as a mediocre traveler in a traveling party and waited for Sciron to show himself. As soon as Sciron came to rob the travelers, Theseus swing at his head making him unconscious.
Theseus flung Sciron off of the cliff, saving the travelers from a dire fate and this is how the story of Sciron who was the robber came to an end. Theseus then carried on with his journey to Athena and was remembered by the people as the mighty hero who got rid of a robber for them.
Conclusions
Sciron was a robber in ancient Greek mythology. Plutarch argued that he was a well-respected warlord. Here we followed both possibilities and explained the life and death of Sciron. Following are the most important points from the article:
Sciron is the son of one of the following pair of parents: Pelops and Hippodameia (King and Queen of Pisa), Canethus (Arcadian Prince) and Henioche (Princess of Lebadea), Poseidon and Iphimedeia (Thessalian Princess) or Pylas (King of Megara) and an unknown Mistress.- Sciron had a daughter, Endeis, and a son, Alycus. Endeis is the mother of Telamon and Peleus whereas Peleus is the father of Achilles. All these names have a good reputation in Greek mythology. Achilles is however the most famous in the lineage.
- Sciron would rob the passing travelers. He would then ask them to wash their feet and take them down a narrow path, near a river. When they would kneel, Sciron would push them into the river where a huge sea turtle would eat the travelers.
- Theseus killed Sciron when he was on his way to Athens. He came to know of a robber who would first rob and then kill the travelers by pushing them into the river. Theseus disguised himself as a traveling party and when Sciron came to rob them, he swung at him and later threw him down a cliff.
Sciron was surely an interesting character in Greek mythology but his descendants were more famous and widely known than him. Whether he was a robber or a warlord, Sciron left a mark in mythology. Here we come to the end of the tale of Sciron as a robber and also as a warlord.
I love that i’m the only one who does not just like Greek mythology and it helped me with my homework.