Saron (mythology)
King of Troezen who drowned chasing a doe.
Saron is a figure from Greek mythology, a king of Troezen who gave his name to the Saronic Gulf. He was the third king of Troezen, succeeding Althepus, though his direct successor is not identified in surviving accounts.
- title
- King of Troezen
- reign_order
- Third king of Troezen
- predecessor
- Althepus
- known_for
- Naming the Saronic Gulf
- mythological_culture
- Greek
- associated_deity
- Artemis Saronia
Lore & Background
Saron was a king of Troezen who succeeded Althepus to become the third king of the city. He built a sanctuary for Artemis Saronia by the sea, in a marshy and shallow area called the Phoebaean Lagoon. Fond of hunting, one day he chased a doe into the sea; the animal swam farther and farther, and Saron pursued until he reached open waters. His strength failed, he drowned, and his body washed up at the grove of Artemis Saronia in the lagoon. The people buried him within the sacred enclosure, and the sea was renamed the Saronic Gulf in his memory.
Reader's Guide
Saron's myth serves as an aetiological explanation for the name of the Saronic Gulf, as well as for a small town called Saron near Troezen and the name Saronia itself, another name for Troezen. During the second century BC, a festival called Saronia was celebrated in honor of Artemis at the sanctuary. Aelius Aristides seems to imply Saron became a sort of sea-deity like Glaucus; based on that, Henning Börm speculates that Saron might have originally been a god pursuing Artemis herself before being downgraded from a god to a hero over the centuries. The story highlights the common mythological theme of a hunter meeting a watery end, and it preserves a local tradition linking a ruler to a geographic feature.
Did You Know?
- Saron was the third king of Troezen, following Althepus.
- He built a sanctuary for Artemis Saronia by the Phoebaean Lagoon.
- He drowned while chasing a doe into the sea, and the Saronic Gulf was named after him.
- A festival called Saronia was celebrated in his honor during the second century BC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Saron in Greek mythology?
Saron was a king of Troezen in Greek myth, recognized as the third ruler of that city-state after Althepus. He is best remembered as the namesake of the Saronic Gulf.
How did Saron die?
According to the surviving myth, Saron drowned while pursuing a doe. This hunting accident became the defining and final moment of his legend.
What is Saron's connection to Artemis?
Saron is linked to the local epithet "Artemis Saronia," suggesting a cultic association between the king and the goddess of the hunt. That tie likely grew out of his death while chasing a deer, an animal sacred to Artemis.
Who came before and after Saron as king of Troezen?
Saron took the throne from Althepus, placing him third in Troezen's royal line. No surviving source names his direct successor, leaving the next entry in the succession unrecorded.
Why is Saron important in Greek mythology?
Although his personal narrative is brief, Saron left a lasting geographic legacy by lending his name to the Saronic Gulf, a body of water still known today. His story also anchors the broader Troezen royal lineage and local Artemis worship.
More in Mythological hunters 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record