Erechtheus

Erechtheus was the son of Pandion and Zeuxippe. Erechtheus succeeded his father, and became the king of Athens. Erechtheus married Praxithea, the daughter of Phrasimus and Diogeneia. Erechtheus was the father of Cecrops, Pandorus and Metion, as well as a number of daughters including Creüsa (Creusa, Κρέουσα), Oreithyia and Procris (Πρόκρις).

The relationship between Athens and Thrace was strained. Boreas (Βορέας) was the son of Astraeus and Eos, and resided in Thrace. Boreas was a minor god of the north wind. Boreas wanted to become a suitor of Oreithyia, but Erechtheus and the Athenians disapproved. The Athenians never trusted the Thracians again, after Tereus had raped Erechtheus' sister, Philomena. See Procne and Philomena.

The situation worsened between Athens and Thrace when Boreas abducted Oreithyia. Oreithyia (Ὀρείθυια) had been playing by the River Ilissos when Boreas carried Oreithyia off to Sarpedon's Rock, Thrace, where he raped her. Boreas then married her, and Oreithyia became the mother of two daughters named Cleopatra and Chione, and the winged twins, Zetes and Calais. Zetes and Calais were known as the Boreades, and they sailed with the Argonauts and drove away the Harpies.

Athens became further embroiled with the Thracians when Erechtheus became involved in a war against their neighbouring town, Eleusis. The Thracian king Eumoplus supported the Eleusinian cause. Athens' former ally was now their enemy; Thrace supported Eleusis in the war. Athens gained support from the Thessalians led by Xuthus, who was the son of Hellen.

Erechtheus heard an oracle that he could only win the war if he sacrificed one of his daughters. When Erechtheus killed his youngest (unnamed) daughter, her sisters killed themselves as well, since they had sworn a pact to die together (this didn't include Creusa, Oreithyia and Procris).

After fierce fighting, Erechtheus killed Eumoplus. Though Athens had by then won the war, Poseidon killed Erechtheus with his trident, because Eumoplus was his son.

Xuthus was given Creüsa as his wife, for his aid in the war (according to Euripides, it was the war against Euboea, not Eleusis, for which he was given Creüsa in marriage). Erechtheus' three sons asked Xuthus to help decide who would succeed their father. Xuthus chose Erechtheus' eldest son, Cecrops. The other brothers were angry with Xuthus' choice, so they drove him out of Athens. Xuthus took Creüsa with him into exile, possibly to Aegialus in northern Peloponnesus. See Creüsa and Ion.

Erechtheus other daughter Procris married Cephalus, the son of Deion (son of Aeolus) and Diomede (daughter of Xuthus). See Cephalus and Procris in the Tales of Lovers.