ABSTRACT
Daughter of Aleus, king of Arcadia, and his niece Neaera. Her father made Auge a priestess in the temple of Athena at Tegea, a post requiring her perpetual virginity. When Heracles visited Aleus he seduced her; she subsequently gave birth to a son, Telephus, and hid him in the temple. As a result of this pollution, the land became barren, and when Aleus had enquired at Delphi and learnt the cause, he had the child exposed on Mount Parthenium. He also handed his daughter to King Nauplius 2 asking him to drown her or sell her into slavery. Nauplius set her adrift on the sea in a chest, and she went aground in Mysia. There she became the property of King Teuthras, who made her his wife. When Telephus (who had been suckled by a doe and reared by shepherds) enquired at Delphi who his parents were, he was told to go to Mysia; there King Teuthras adopted him and made him his heir. According to another version of the story, Telephus was nearly married to Auge (who had not married Teuthras, but had been adopted by him as his daughter). Telephus was awarded her as his bride for defeating Idas, Teuthras’ enemy, in war; but Auge wanted nothing to do with him. She took a sword to bed with her and tried to stab Telephus, but a large snake came between them. Auge told Telephus what she had meant to do and, as he prepared to punish her with death, she called on Heracles for aid. In this way Telephus discovered his mother and took her back to Arcadia. See TELEPHUS.
