Auge in Greek tradition
After Heracles raped her, Auge hid her baby in Athena’s sanctuary, where she served as priestess. She is the daughter of Aleus and mother of Telephus, whose exposure on Mount Parthenion led to his being suckled by a doe and raised by herdsmen. When the land became infertile, an oracle revealed sacrilege in the sanctuary, and her father handed her over for execution, though Nauplios passed her to Teuthras, who married her.
The quick answers
Who is Auge?
Auge is a Greek being.What family links are recorded for Auge?
Father: Aleus, Mother: Neaera, 1 child, 1 sibling.
Auge’s family, at a glance
Parents above, children below, and the figure’s consorts named in between, the same family data as the fact box, laid out as a chart instead of a field list.
The myths of Auge
2 myths, each traced to its primary text and corpus sources.
Heracles and Auge at Athena’s Temple
As Heracles passed through Tegea, he raped Auge, the daughter of Aleos, king of Tegea and founder of Athena’s temple there. Auge held the temple’s priesthood. She became pregnant and gave birth in secret. She hid the baby in Athena’s sanctuary, but the land then became infertile. Oracles revealed that a sacrilegious act had taken place in the sanctuary. Aleos entered it, searched the building, and discovered his daughter’s child.
Aleos ordered the baby to be exposed on Mount Parthenion. A doe that had recently given birth found him and offered him her teat. Shepherds then took up the child and named him Telephus. They reared him among the herdsmen of Corythos. Auge’s father handed her to Nauplios, son of Poseidon, to be put to death or sold abroad. Nauplios passed her to Teuthras, ruler of the Mysians and king of Teuthrania, who married her.
When Telephus had grown up, he went to Delphi to discover who his parents were. Following the god’s advice, he travelled to Mysia. Teuthras adopted him, and Telephus later succeeded him as king when he died. Auge therefore became Teuthras’s wife, while Telephus became his adopted son and heir.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
- 2Apollodorus, The LibraryT1
Quote
“Auge bears Heracles’ son in Athena’s sanctuary, Telephus is rescued and reared by shepherds, and mother and son later reach Mysia, where Teuthras marries Auge and adopts Telephus as his heir.”
Apollodorus, The Library
- 3The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
The Recognition of Auge and Telephus
As Heracles passed through Tegea, he raped Auge, the daughter of Aleos, without knowing who she was. Auge held a priesthood at the sanctuary of Athene. She gave birth in secret and hid the child there. When the land became infertile, oracles declared that the sanctuary contained something sacrilegious. Aleos searched the sanctuary and discovered his daughter’s child.
Aleos exposed the baby on Mount Parthenion. A doe that had recently given birth found him and offered him her teat. Shepherds then took up the child and named him Telephus. He was reared by the herdsmen of Corythos. Auge was handed over by her father to Nauplios, son of Poseidon, to be put to death or sold abroad. Nauplios instead gave her to Teuthras, ruler of the Mysians, who made her his wife.
When Telephus grew older, he went to Delphi to discover the identity of his parents. The god advised him to travel to Mysia. Telephus followed this direction and reached the court of Teuthras. The king adopted him, and Telephus later succeeded him as ruler when Teuthras died.
Before that succession, Telephus was nearly joined in marriage with Auge. Neither knew that the other was his mother and her son. Divine intervention revealed the truth before the marriage took place. Auge was therefore recognised as Telephus’s mother, and the intended marriage was prevented.
In the modern world
No modern rework confirmed yet.
3 sources· checked 2026-08-19
- 1The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
- 2Apollodorus, The LibraryT1
Quote
“Telephus learns at Delphi to seek his parents in Mysia, where Teuthras adopts him, and a divine sign reveals that Auge, whom he is about to marry, is his mother.”
Apollodorus, The Library
- 3The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)T1
Also appears in
The myths across MythSource where Auge features, each on that figure’s page.
- Achilles Wounds Telephus · on Achilles
- Heracles and Auge · on Heracles
What this page is built from
About this page
Written and maintained by MythSource. Last reviewed not yet recorded. How a page gets built.
2 sources are cited on this page, primary texts and corpus scholarship, listed below.
Cite this page
MythSource. (n.d.). Auge. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/auge
"Auge." MythSource, n.d., www.mythsource.com/figures/auge.
"Auge." MythSource. n.d. https://www.mythsource.com/figures/auge.
The mythology summaries and identity fields on this page are grounded in the primary texts and scholarship above. The appearance table records candidates separately; only reviewed joins are presented as modern reworks in Overview.
The film
The Underdrawing video on Auge embeds here once it publishes.