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[[File:Wenceslas Hollar - Aeneas and Acestes (State 2).jpg|thumb]]
{{short description|Ancient Roman mythological figure from the Aeneid}}
In [[Roman mythology]], '''Acestes''' or '''Egestes''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀκέστης}}) was the son of the [[Sicilia]]n river-god [[Crinisus]] by a [[Dardanus (city)|Dardanian]] or [[Troy|Trojan]] woman named Egesta or Segesta.<ref>[[Virgil]], ''[[Aeneid]]'' i. 195, 550, v. 36, 711, &c.</ref>

According to [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], this woman Egesta or Segesta was sent by her father, Hippotes or Ipsostratus, to [[Sicily]], that she might not be devoured by the monsters which infested the territory of [[Troy]] and which had been sent into the land, because the Trojans had refused to reward [[Poseidon]] and [[Apollo]] for having built the walls of their city.<ref>{{Citation  | last = Schmidt  | first = Leonhard  | contribution = Acestes  | editor-last = Smith  | editor-first = William  | title = [[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]  | volume = 1  | pages = 7  | place = Boston  | year = 1867  | contribution-url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0016.html  | access-date = 2007-09-25  | archive-date = 2012-12-02  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20121202085509/http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0016.html  | url-status = dead  }}</ref> When Egesta arrived in Sicily, the river-god Crinisus in the form of a bear or a dog sired with her a son named Acestes, who was afterwards regarded as the hero who had founded the town of [[Segesta]].<ref>Comp. Schol. ''ad Lycophron'' 951, 963.</ref>

The funeral games of Aeneas's father [[Anchises]] were held there. Those of Aeneas's folk who wished to voyage no further were allowed to remain behind with Acestes and together with Acestes's people they founded the city of Acesta, that is Segesta.

The ''[[Aeneid]]'' cites him as giving wine as a farewell gift to Aeneas as he is leaving Sicily.

==Mythological tradition of Dionysius==
The tradition of Acestes in [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]],<ref>Dionysius, i. 52</ref> who calls him Aegestus ({{lang|grc|Αἴγεστος}}), is different, for according to him, the grandfather of Aegestus quarreled with [[Laomedon]], who slew him and gave his daughters to some merchants to convey them to a distant land. A noble Trojan however embarked with them, and married one of them in Sicily, where she subsequently gave birth to a son, Aegestus. During the war against Troy Aegestus obtained permission from [[Priam]] to return and take part in the contest, and afterwards returned to Sicily, where [[Aeneas]] on his arrival was hospitably received by him and [[Elymus (mythology)|Elymus]], and built for them the towns of [[Segesta|Aegesta]] and Elyme. The account of Dionysius seems to be nothing but a rationalistic interpretation of the genuine legend.<ref>As to the inconsistencies in Virgil's account of Acestes, see Heyne, ''Excurs.'' 1, ''on Aen.'' v.</ref>

== Arrow of Acestes ==
In the ''[[Aeneid]]'', Acestes participates in a trial of skill in which he shoots his [[arrow]] which then bursts into flame as a sign from Jupiter of Acestes's deserved honor.

== References ==
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{{SmithDGRBM|title= Acestes}}

{{Aeneid}}
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[[Category:Characters in Roman mythology]]
[[Category:Characters in the Aeneid]]
[[Category:Children of Greek river gods]]
[[Category:Mythological Sicilians]]