Chaon

For the town in France, see Chaon, Loir-et-Cher

For the American author, see Dan Chaon

Tribe named by Chaon in ancient Epirus.

Chaon (Greek: Χάων, gen.: Χάονος) was a Greek hero and the eponymous ancestor of the Chaonians who gave his name to Chaonia, a district in northwestern Epirus in Greece. The stories are unclear as to whether he was the friend or the brother of Helenus, but in either case, he accompanied him to the court of Neoptolemus.^[1] The stories concerning Chaon's death are as unclear as that of his relationship to Helenus. Chaon was either killed in a hunting accident or offered himself as a sacrifice to the gods during an epidemic, thus saving the lives of his countrymen. In either case, when Helenus became the ruler of the country, he named a part of the kingdom after Chaon.^[2]

Chaon was also a common Ancient Greek name (Chaon son of Philoumenos - Χάων Φιλουμένου,^[3] and Chaon son of Eudoxos - Χάων Εὐδόξου).^[4]

References

1. ^ Virgil. Aeneid, 3.295.
2. ^ Grimal, Pierre. "Chaon." The Dictionary of Classical Mythology. Trans. A. R. Maxwell-Hyslop. Malden, MA: Blackwell, 1986. p. 98.
3. ^ Aulon Euboea IG XII,9 132 - Athens IG II² 12983
4. ^ Athens IG II² 2360 line 66.