# Alcinous — The Argonautica character guide

> Alcinous in The Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Alkinoüs

**First appearance:** 0003-book-iv

## Snapshot

The Phaeacian king who must rule on whether a foreign woman belongs to her father or her husband—and knows the answer will echo.

## Who they are

Alcinous receives the Argonauts and the Colchian fleet on his island and finds himself arbiter of a case no one wants to judge: is Medea a fugitive daughter or a wedded wife? He is a just, hospitable king, but his verdict will either hand her back to Aeëtes or set the Argo free. His ruling—delivered after Arete's night-time persuasion—becomes the legal pivot of the entire homeward voyage.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_argonautica_se/characters/alcinous
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_argonautica_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_argonautica_se/characters