Ascalabus

In Greek mythology, was a son of Misme

Ascalabus (Ancient Greek: Ἀσκάλαβος), in Greek mythology, was a son of Misme.

Mythology

When Demeter, on her wanderings in search of her daughter Persephone who had been abducted by Hades, came to Misme in Attica, the goddess was received kindly, and being exhausted and thirsty, Misme gave her something to drink (a kykeon). As the goddess emptied the vessel at one draught, Ascalabus laughed at her, and ordered a whole cask to be brought. Demeter, indignant at the boy's conduct, sprinkled the few remaining drops from her vessel upon him and thereby changed him into a gecko.^[1] The tale is preserved in Antoninus Liberalis' Metamorphoses, which cites Nicander's lost Heteroeumena. The tale is also told in Ovid's Metamorphoses,^[2] though Ascalabus and his mother go unnamed: "presumably... to avoid confusion with Ascalaphus".^[3]

In Roman versions of the story, where Demeter is called Ceres, Ascalabus is often named Stellio.

Notes

^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 24
^ Ovid, Metamorphoses 5.446 - 461
^ Ovid; Melville, A.D.; Kenney, E.J. (1986). Metamorphoses. Oxford University Press. p. 406. ISBN 9780192816917.

References

Antoninus Liberalis, The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Welcker, Das Kunst-Museum zu Bonn, p. 74, &c.
Grant, Michael and Hazel, John, Who's Who In Classical Mythology

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Ascalabus". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

Metamorphoses in Greek mythology

Animals

Avian	Abas Acanthis Acanthus Acmon Aëdon Aegolius Aegypius Aëtos Aesacus Agrius and Oreius Agron Alcander Alcyone Alcyone and Ceyx Alcyonides Alectryon Anthus Antigone Argus Arne Sithonis Artemiche Ascalaphus Asteria Autonous Botres Bulis Byssa Caeneus Celeus Cerberus Chelidon Cinyras Clinis Combe Corone Ctesylla Cycnus of Aetolia Cycnus of Ares Cycnus of Colonae Cycnus of Liguria Daedalion Erinoma Erodius Eumelus Gerana Harpalyce Harpasus Harpe Hierax Hippodamia Hyperippe Hyria Ictinus Idas Ino Itys Iynx Laius Lelante Lycius Lycus Megaletor Meleagrids Memnonides Meropis Merops Minyades Munichus Neophron Nisus Nyctaea Nyctimene Oenoe Oenotropae Ortygius Pandareus Pelia Perdix Periphas Peristera Picus Pierides Phene Philaeus Philomela Pleiades Polyphonte Polytechnus Procne Rhexenor Schoeneus Scylla Tereus Timandra
Non-avian	Abas Actaeon Arachne Arcas Arge Aristaeus Ascalabus Atalanta Cadmus Calchus Callisto Cephissus Cerambus Cercopes Chelone Circe Curetes Cynosura Galanthis Gale Harmonia Hecuba Helice Hippomenes Io Lycaon Lycian peasants Lyncus Melanippe Melian nymphs Melissa Minyades Myia Myrmex Naïs Nerites Ocyrhoe Odysseus Pentheus Phalanx Phineus Phoenice Pompilus Taygete Theophane Tiresias Titanis Tithonus Tyrrhenian pirates Aethalides Alcimedon Dictys Epopeus Melas Medon Opheltes

Avian