Ascalăphus
(
Ἀσκάλαφος).
1.
The son of Ares and Astyoché, who led, with his brother Ialmenus, the Minyans of
Orchomenus against Troy, and was slain by Deïphobus (
Il. ii. 512).
2.
The son of Acheron and Gorgyra or Orphné. When Pluto gave Persephoné
(Proserpina) permission to return to the upper world, provided she had eaten nothing,
Ascalaphus declared that she had eaten part of a pomegranate. Persephoné, in
revenge, changed him into an owl by sprinkling him with water from the river Phlegethon
(Ovid,
Met. v. 540).