Ακαρναν

One of the two sons of Alcmaeon, the son of the Theban soothsayer Amphiaraus by Callirhoe ('the lovely spring') who was a daughter of the river Achelous (Table 1). The name of the other son was Amophoterus. At some time during his adventures Alcmaeon had given offence to Phegeus, the king of Psophis in Arcadia, and he was eventually killed by Phegeus' children. When Callirhoe learnt of her husband's death he asked Zeus, who loved her, to cause her two small sons to grow miraculously so that they could avenge their father. Zeus agreed to this request, enabling Amphoterus and Acarnan to kill Pronus and Agenor, the sons of Phegeus, whom they met in the house of King Agapenor. They subsequently made their way to Psophis and killed Phegeus himself. The inhabitants of the town pursued them but they managed to escape and took refuge near Agapenor at Tegea in Arcadia. At the command of their grandfather Achelous, Amphoterus and Acarnan then went to Delphi to dedicate the necklace of Harmonia, which lay behind a long chain of murders and in particular had been the indirect cause of the deaths of their father Alcmaeon and their grandfather Amphiaraus (see Eryphile). After completing their mission they next made their way through Epirus where they enlisted some companions and founded the colony of Acarnania, whose inhabitants, formerly called the Curetes, took their new name from that of Acarnan.

According to one tradition, Acarnan was killed while trying to wed Hippodamia, the daughter of Oenomaus, who put her suitors to death.

{E2 DICTIONARY OF CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY}

Table of Sources:
- Apollod. Bibl. 3, 7, 5f
- Paus. 8, 24, 9
- Thuc. 2, 102, 9
- Ovid, Met. 9, 412
- schol. on Pind. Ol. 1, 127