Gegenees
In its own language: Γηγενεής
from Greek Gēgenēs, 'earth-born' or 'indigenous'
A six-armed, earth-born race of Greek myth who fought Jason's Argonauts
The Gegenees are a race of six-armed humanoids in ancient Greek myth, told in the epic Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius. Their name means 'earth-born' or 'indigenous'; they lived on an island shared with the Doliones, and fought Jason's crew, who left Heracles behind and sailed back to help him.
- A race of humanoids with six arms in ancient Greek epic
- Their name is Greek for 'earth-born' or 'indigenous'
- They shared one island with the Doliones in the Argonautica
- Heracles was left behind fighting them; the Argonauts returned to help
- Told by Apollonius Rhodius in the Argonautica
What it is
The Gegenees are a race of humanoids, each with six arms, in ancient Greek myth. They are told of in the Argonautica, the epic of Jason's voyage with the Argonauts, written by Apollonius Rhodius. Their Greek name, Gēgeneēs, is glossed as 'earth-born' or 'indigenous', and the same people are also called Gegeines. In the poem they hold an island that they share with the Doliones, another people of the story. They belong to the epic's company of strange peoples whom the heroes meet at sea rather than to any living magical practice. When Jason's crew came ashore on their island, the meeting turned to battle, and that fight is the race's chief part in the tale.
Where it comes from
An ancient text carries the whole account: the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius, a Greek epic of Jason's voyage. The poem is read in modern editions, among them the Loeb Classical Library volume edited and translated by William H. Race, published by Harvard University Press in 2009. The race's name is Greek, Gēgenēs in the singular and Gēgeneēs in the plural, and it means 'earth-born' or 'indigenous'. The spelling Gegeines is also given for the same people.
Gegenees, drawn and placed
- Living
- Revived
- Fading
- Historical
- Legendary
- Performed
- Lineage
- Greek myth, the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius
At a glance: who, where and when
Peoples
What people believe
The epic's story runs briefly. Jason and the Argonauts put in at the island where the Gegenees lived; the Doliones held the same ground. Battle followed between the visitors and the six-armed islanders. In the course of it the Argonauts sailed on and left Heracles behind without knowing, and he kept fighting the Gegenees ashore on his own. The crew returned, and together with Heracles they drove the Gegenees off. In the poem's world, an unfamiliar shore can hold an armed people of its own, and a landfall can turn into a fight.
Compare and confuse
Readers can mix the Gegenees up with the Doliones, because the epic gives both peoples the same island. The poem keeps them apart: the Gegenees are the six-armed race with the earth-born name, while the Doliones are the island's other inhabitants. The spellings Gegenees and Gegeines refer to one and the same people.
Questions people ask about Gegenees
What are the Gegenees?
They are a race of humanoids, each with six arms, from ancient Greek story, told in the epic Argonautica. Their Greek name means 'earth-born' or 'indigenous', and the same people are also called Gegeines. In the poem they live on an island shared with the Doliones and are known for their battle with Jason's crew.
Where does the account of them come from?
From the Argonautica of Apollonius Rhodius, an ancient Greek epic of Jason's voyage. English readers meet the race through modern editions of the poem, among them the Loeb Classical Library volume translated by William H. Race, published by Harvard University Press in 2009.
Why are they called earth-born?
Their Greek name, Gēgenēs in the singular and Gēgeneēs in the plural, means 'earth-born' or 'indigenous'. That is the sense the English text gives for it, and the spelling Gegeines is also used for the same race.
What happened when the Argonauts landed?
Jason's crew came ashore on the Gegenees' island and fighting broke out. The Argonauts sailed on without Heracles, not knowing he had been left behind, and he kept fighting the six-armed islanders alone. They then returned, and with their help Heracles drove the Gegenees off.
How are they connected to the Doliones?
The two peoples live on the same island in the epic. The Gegenees are the six-armed race, and the Doliones are the island's other inhabitants; the poem keeps them distinct even though they share the ground.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Gegenees", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). EveryJaadu rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. Names and customs differ from one community to the next, and some knowledge is closed to outsiders and left out here. This page describes belief and practice. It does not say that any of it works, it is not a how-to, and it is not medical advice. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-17.
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