Arcadia - Greek Mythology

An imaginary rural place of peace and simplicity...

That’s just one of the meanings we commonly associate with the word ‘Arcadia’ which comes from the Peloponnese mountain region in Greece.

But what is perhaps less well known is the mythology behind the origin of the word in the first place.

You see, Arcadia was named after Arcas who was the son of Zeus and the nymph Callisto – whom Zeus craftily seduced.

According to the myth, Arcas was hidden by Zeus at birth so that Hera (his wife) would not harm him. He grew up to be an incredible hunter and eventually the King of Arcadia.

He is also remembered for gifting people with the art of weaving and bread making. We also, in part, have him to thank for giving us the first werewolf.

But that’s another story...

Anyway, back to Arcadia, 'apparently' it is also where we get the words; archaeology, architect, archipelago. In fact, many of the words we use that relate to time or space and have an ‘arch’ prefix originally come from the King of Arcadia!

As for him, ironically he ended up changing his name along with his mother and they both became huge stars. We know them today as Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.

Hope you found this interesting.