Erechtheus and his daughters

One of the most well known kings of Athens was king Erechtheus. One myth has it that Erechtheus was a child of Hyphaestus and Athena. Another that he was a child of Hyphaestus and goddess Gea (Earth), and a third that Erechtheus was a great grandson of Cecrops.

Erechtheus had six sons and three beautiful daughters whom he adored. Between those three sisters was so much love that they made a secret oath among them. If one of them dies, the other two will follow to the grave so that death never parts them.

In Thrace (north east Greece) those days there was a king named Eumolpus, a very strong and ambitious man. Eumolpus decided to conquer Athens, so he gathered his troops and marched towards Athens.

Erechtheus that his city Athens was not so big at that time was worried and he decided to go to the oracle of Delphi and to ask Pythia the priestess what he must do to win the Thracean army.

- Eumolpus is a son of Poseidon, said Pythia, and Poseidon hates Athens so he will help his son to win. But if you want to be victorious in this battle you must pay for this victory in blood and tears. Sacrifice one of your daughters. Such was the oracle of Pythia.

Erechtheus returned to Athens very bitter from the oracle of Pythia. He adored his daughters but it was his duty to defend his people and city at any cost.
Erechtheus talked to his wife Praxithea and told her about the oracle. Praxithea started to cry and beating on her breasts, she could not accept this sacrifice.

- I feel your pain, which is mine also. Said Erechtheus. You know how much I love our daughters wife, but think of the other girls and boys of Athens.

We will loose a child, but with this sacrifice we will save all the children and people of Athens.

The queen in her quivering she made a stone of her heart and agreed to the words of the king.

- We need to talk to our daughters Erechtheus, there is no other way. She said.

And so they did. All three daughters accepted the sacrifice and they draw lots. The youngest of all was the one to be sacrificed and since the army of Eumolpus was closing to Athens, Praxithea her self lead-on the young daughter to the altar.

The Thracans sure for their victory attacked the city. Erechtheus and his Athenians fought bravely for hours and forced the invading army to retreat after having major casualties and their own king Eumolpus dead by the hand of  Erechtheus.

Poseidon who was watching the battle from the top of mount Hymettus, having seeing his son Eumolpus slain by the own hand of Erechtheus, he caste his trident and hit Erechtheus on the head.
Erechtheus died after winning a big battle and saving Athens and its people. And maybe he was lucky to be dead, because if he lived and returned to the palace he would have found his other two daughters dead too. Faithful to their secret oath, they followed their sister into the kingdom of Hades, the kingdom of the dead to be always together.

Goddess Athena was so touched by their death that she rise them to heavens and made them shining and immortal stars in the constellation of Hyades.