Augeas
1
9.9
A king in Greek stories whose stables were very dirty for thirty years
- proper noun
- /ɔːˈdʒiːəs/
- Literature
:
Augías
- King Augeas ruled over the region of Elis, famous for his immense and filthy stables.
Examples
-
The legend tells that Hercules was tasked with cleaning the stables of Augeas in just one day.
-
According to Greek mythology, King Augeas was known for having an enormous herd of cattle.
-
At 1:00, you got a meeting with King Augeas.
-
He diverted the river Alpheus to clean the stables of Augeas, king of Elis.
Academic text (1998)
Surface Forms
Augeas main
Etymology
Augeas comes from a Greek myth about a king whose stables were full of cattle and had not been cleaned for thirty years. Hercules cleaned them by making rivers run through the stables, so today the phrase Augean stables means an 'overwhelming mess' or a very dirty job.