Occupation: Thief, possibly Retired in his later life

Legal Status: Citizen of Ancient Greece

Identity: The general populace of Earth is unaware of Autolycus except as a mythological character.

Other Aliases: None known

Place of Birth: possibly Ancient Phocis (now part of Ancient Greece)

Place of Death: Unrevealed, possibly Mount Parnassus (now part of Ancient Greece)

Marital Status: Single

Known Relatives: Hermes (father), Chione (mother, deceased), Philammon (half-brother), Daedalion (grandfather, deceased), Neaera (wife), Pereus (father-in-law), three sons (names unrevealed), Anticleia (daughter), Odysseus (grandson), Laertes (son-in-law),

Group Affiliations: None

Base of Operations: Mount Parnassus in Phocis (now part of modern Greece)

First Appearance: Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Episode: "The King of Thieves"

History: Autolycus is the son of Hermes, the Olympian god of thieves and messengers, and Chione, a mortal princess from the House of Erechtheus of Athens. According to ancient myths, Chione was so beautiful that she was approached by numerous suitors. Both of the Olympian gods, Apollo and Hermes fell in love with her, and while Apollo waited for her to fall asleep, Hermes mystically placed her asleep and seduced her. Apollo meanwhile waited until nightfall and found Chione waiting in her night chamber before he seduced her as well. In due course, Chione gave birth to two sons by both of the gods. The sons were Autolycus, son of Hermes, and Philammon, son of Apollo. Having been able to distract the heads of the two gods, Chione began to boast she was more beautiful than the goddess Artemis. Artemis avenged her own vanity by slaying Chione with an arrow. King Daedalion was so distraught over her death that he flung himself off Mount Parnassus to his death, but Apollo took mercy on him and turned his spirit into a hawk.

After Chione's death, Autolycus was raised by Hermes near Mount Parnassus. He taught Autolycus how to be a master thief and escape artist. Autolycus also learned how to disguise the objects that he taught in case he was ever caught. Autolycus was also a student of the wise centaur named Chiron and became friends with Jason and Hercules. According to some stories, Autolycus taught Hercules how to wrestle when they were teenagers and was among the Argonauts gathered by Jason to go after the Golden Fleece. As an adult, however, Autolycus was not above blaming his friends for his crimes in order to become the greatest of all thieves. When he stole the prized cattle of King Eurytus, he blamed the theft on Hercules. In Eleon, Autolycus broke into King Amyntor's armory and stole his prized helmet in order that he would be defeated by Peleus, another of the Argonauts.

Autolycus eventually romanced and took Neaera, the daughter of King Pereus of Tegea, as his wife. They had several sons including a daughter named Anticlea. Autolycus, meanwhile, had met his match in trying to deceive wily King Sisyphus of Corinth. Autolycus had been stealing Sisyphus's cattle over several months, and eventually, Sisyphus discovered his herds were getting smaller while that of Autolycus kept getting larger. He eventually contrived the plan of marking his cattle, and after a few cattle had vanished again, Sisyphus decided to visit Autolycus in search of his missing cattle. Discovering the hidden mark on his cattle, he not only took his cows back, but he seduced Anticlea out of revenge. She was subsequently taken as a bride by Laertes, another of the Argonauts, who raised her son, Odysseus, believing he was his own son. According to some stories, Autolycus had been called to Ithaca by Laertes and Anticlea to name their son, and Autolycus chose the name Odysseus from the Latin word "odyssomai" or "to hold anger" because of his feud with Sisyphus. Publicly, Autolycus claimed he chose the name to honor the odiom that so many men had borne him during his life.

Autolycus instructed Anticlea to send him Odysseus when he became a young man. While visiting his grandfather near Mount Parnassus, Autolycus taught the youth how to wrestle just as he had with Hercules. Odysseus also went boar-hunting with his uncles and acquired a wound from the tusk of a boar that he carried with him for much of his life. Autolycus also gave Odysseus the helmet he had taken from King Amyntor.

The details of Autolycus's death are unrevealed; it is unknown if his spirit was among the ancient Greek heroes released from the afterlife to help defend Olympus, the home of the Olympian Gods, from Mikaboshi, the Japanese god of evil. Some stories however make Autolycus a contemporary of Xena, the self-proclaimed warrior goddess of the First Century BC, but these stories may be apocryphal, distortions created from merging stories of Xena's life with Hercules during the days of Roman-occupied Greece. 

Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 245 lbs.
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black

Strength Level: Autolycus possesses the normal human strength level of a man of his size, height and build who engages in extensive regular exercises.

Known Superhuman Powers: None

Abilities: Autolycus is a master thief, escape artist and warrior in both armed and unarmed combat. Due to his divine parentage, he is in extraordinary physical shape on a level of an Olympic-class athlete.

Comments: Autolycus has yet to appear in Marvel or DC Comics; he was played by actor Bruce Campbell in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena."

Clarifications: Autolycus is not to be confused with:

• Autolycus, Prince of Tricca, son of King Deimachus, member of the Argonauts, c. 1250 BC

Last updated: 10/22/12