ASCALAPHUS

[Greek heroic] The king of Orchomenus, son of Ares and Astyoche. He participated in the expedition of the Argonauts, but died later at Troy (Iliad XIII, 518). The son of Acheron and Orphne. He betrayed the fact that Persephone had eaten a pomegranate in the underworld, something that she was forbidden to do. Ascalaphus was punished by being turned into an owl (Ovid V, 534).