Periphas (king of Attica)
[3] In a time, before Cecrops, who was traditionally recorded to be the first king of Athens, the earth born (autochthon) Periphas ruled over Attica.He was a pious priest of Apollo, to whom Periphas made many sacrifices, and he was a just king, whose "fair judgments" were numerous.But Periphas was so loved by his people that they paid him the honors which belonged to Zeus alone, building temples to Periphas and calling him Zeus Soter ("Saviour"), and Epopsios ("Overlooker of All") and Meilichios ("Gracious").And Zeus made Periphas the king of all birds, placed him as guard over his sacred sceptre, and to Phene, the vulture, he granted that she become a good omen for men in all endeavors.[5] According to Arthur Bernard Cook, the story of Periphas is part of a tradition whereby an early king posing as Zeus is punished by Zeus, often by being changed into a bird.
British MuseumGreek mythologyAncient Greekking of AtticaMetamorphosesAntoninus LiberalisCecropsautochthonAtticaApolloMeilichiosArthur Bernard CookAetos DiosCook, Arthur BernardLoeb Classical LibraryHarvard University PressSmith, WilliamDictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and MythologyMetamorphoses in Greek mythologyAcanthisAcanthusAëdonAegoliusAegypiusAëtosAesacusAgrius and OreiusAlcanderAlcyoneAlcyone and CeyxAlcyonidesAlectryonAnthusAntigoneArne SithonisArtemicheAscalaphusAsteriaAutonousBotresCaeneusCeleusCerberusChelidonCinyrasClinisCoroneCtesyllaCycnus of AetoliaCycnus of AresCycnus of ColonaeCycnus of LiguriaDaedalionErinomaErodiusEumelusGeranaHarmothoëHarpalyceHarpasusHieraxHippodamiaHyperippeIctinusLelanteLyciusMegaletorMeleagridsMemnonidesMeropisMeropsMinyadesMunichusNeophronNyctaeaNyctimeneOenotropaeOrtygiusPandareusPerdixPeristeraPieridesPhilaeusPhilomelaPleiadesPolyphontePolytechnusProcneRhexenorSchoeneusScyllaTereusTimandraActaeonArachneAristaeusAscalabusAtalantaCadmusCalchusCallistoCephissusCerambusCercopesCheloneCuretesCynosuraGalanthisHarmoniaHecubaHeliceHippomenesLycaonLycian peasantsLyncusMegistoMelanippeMelian nymphsMelissaMyrmexNeritesOcyrhoeOdysseusPentheusPhalanxPhineus