Crossword clues for astacus
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Astacus \As"ta*cus\, n. [L. astacus a crab, Gr. ?.] (Zo["o]l.) A genus of crustaceans, containing the crawfish of fresh-water lobster of Europe, and allied species of western North America. See Crawfish.
Wikipedia
Astacus (from the Greek , , meaning "lobster" or "crayfish") is a genus of crayfish found in Europe and western Asia, comprising three extant and four extinct species.
Due to the American crayfish plague, crayfish of this genus have been almost wiped out in Europe and have in many European countries been replaced by the North American signal crayfish, which is often more resistant to the plague.
In Greek mythology, the name Astacus may refer to:
- Astacus of Thebes, a descendant of the Spartoi, and the eponym of the city Astacus, characterized as "a noble and proud man". One of his sons, Melanippus, was one of the principal defenders of Thebes against the Seven and fell against Tydeus. His other three sons, Ismarus, Leades, and Amphidicus (or Asphodicus), were credited with killing Hippomedon, Eteoclus and Parthenopaeus respectively. Yet other two sons of his, Erithelas and Lobes, were said to have founded Hypoplacian Thebes.
- Astacus, a son of Poseidon and the nymph Olbia, eponymous founder of Astacus, Bithynia.
- Astacus, a son of Hermes and Astabe, a daughter of Peneus; he was father of Iocles (or Oicles?) and through him grandfather of Hipponous.
Usage examples of "astacus".
After taking Sollium, a town belonging to Corinth, and presenting the city and territory to the Acarnanians of Palaira, they stormed Astacus, expelled its tyrant Evarchus, and gained the place for their confederacy.
In the ensuing winter the Acarnanian Evarchus, wishing to return to Astacus, persuaded the Corinthians to sail over with forty ships and fifteen hundred heavy infantry and restore him.
In the course of this winter, after the dispersion of the Peloponnesian fleet, the Athenians in Naupactus, under Phormio, coasted along to Astacus and disembarked, and marched into the interior of Acarnania with four hundred Athenian heavy infantry and four hundred Messenians.