Autolycus

In Greek mythological genealogies Autolycus (Ancient Greek: Αὐτόλυκος, lit. 'the wolf itself') is usually described as a son of Hermes and a mortal mother (commonly named Chione or Philonis), inheriting from Hermes the arts of theft and trickery. Variant traditions exist: some sources (e.g., Pausanias as recorded in later summaries) present Daedalion as an alternate father. Autolycus is placed within hero-line networks through marriage and descent (various traditions name wives such as Mestra and daughters who link him to figures like Anticlea, mother of Odysseus), and he is sometimes listed among the ranks of heroic companions in later compilations.

Ancient sources preserved in the provided materials do not give a single canonical physical description; the figure is described through deeds and reputation rather than fixed features. Classical summaries locate his residence on Mount Parnassus. In later literary appropriation (notably Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale) the name 'Autolycus' is used for a stage rogue/clown, implying a roguish, low‑class theatrical appearance in those adaptations, but that is a literary role rather than an original mythical portrait.

Autolycus is famed for consummate skill in theft and trickery, credited with the same thieving arts associated with Hermes. Classical summaries record that he could change the appearance of things he stole — famously described as making 'white of black, and black of white' or altering hornedness in animals — and that he was given a gift such that his thievery could not be caught by anyone. He is also credited in some accounts with teaching wrestling to Heracles and elsewhere appears in narratives involving cattle theft (with variant outcomes across traditions).