Acestes

Greek mythology

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Article History

Acestes, in Greek mythology, legendary king of Segesta (Greek Egesta) in Sicily. His mother, Egesta, had been sent from Troy by her parents to save her from being devoured by a sea serpent. Going to Sicily she met the river god Crimisus, by whom she became the mother of Acestes.

Acestes appears notably in the Aeneid, offering hospitality to Aeneas when he lands in Sicily. Acestes’ function is to emphasize the mythological connection of Sicily with Troy; in Greek legend Aeneas, whose descendants founded Rome, traveled no farther than Sicily. In the Aeneid Acestes brings the funeral games of Anchises, Aeneas’ father, to a climax by shooting into the air an arrow that becomes a comet, a sign of Anchises’ eternal life.