Cacus’s Family Tree

About Cacus →

Family

• Vulcan(parent),Caca(sibling)

  Cacus and his sister Caca were both children of Vulcan, dwelling together on the Aventine until Caca betrayed her brother to Hercules and revealed the hiding place of the stolen cattle.

Slain by

• Hercules

  Hercules slew the fire-breathing giant Cacus in his cave on the Aventine Hill after Cacus dragged stolen cattle backward by their tails to hide their tracks, and the hero tore open the rock to reach him.

Associated with

• Evander

  Evander, whose settlement on the Palatine had suffered under Cacus's reign of terror, witnessed Hercules tear open the monster's cave and strangle him — and in gratitude founded the Ara Maxima to honor the hero.