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[German version] (Πηλεύς; Pēleús). Son of Aeacus (Hom. Il. 21,189) and the daughter of Chiron, Endeis, brother of Telamon (Ov. Met. 7,476f.; cf. Pind. P. 8,100; in Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 60, they are only friends), husband of the Nereid Thetis, father of Achilles [1]. As P. and Telamon intentionally kill their half-brother Phocus (Alcmaeonis F 1 EpGF; Apollod. 3,160), they are banished from their homeland of Aegina by Aeacus. P. goes to Phthia, to Eurytion [4] who purifies him and gives him his daught…

[German version] (Μελανεύς/ Melaneús). Son of Apollo (in Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 82a of Arcesilaus), father of Eurytus [1] and Ambracia. A skilled archer who ruled over the Dryopians and conquered Epirus by war (Antoninus Liberalis 4,3). According to Paus. 4,2,2 the Messenians claimed that he had been given the territory of Oechalia by Perieres, the ruler of Messenia. The city of Oechalia is supposed to have received its name from M.'s wife. Eretria on Euboea was previously named Melaneís after M. (Str. 10,1,10). Stenger, Jan (Kiel)

(Μενεσθεύς; Menestheús). [German version] [1] Athenian leader at Troy Son of Peteus, great-grandson of Erechtheus. M. led the contingent of Athenians with fifty ships at Troy. Only Nestor was his equal in marshalling horses and warriors for battle (Hom. Il. 2,552ff.). While Theseus was detained in Hades, the Dioscuri conquered Aphidna and installed M. as king of Athens. Theseus's sons fled to Euboea. Because M. gained the favour of the Athenians, they ousted Theseus on his return (Paus. 1,17,5f.). Accord…

[German version] (Τάνταλος/ Tántalos, Lat. Tantalus). Mythological king on the Sipylus, son of Zeus (Eur. Or. 5; Paus. 2,22,3) or of Tmolus (schol. Eur. Or. 4) and Pluto [1], husband of Dione or Euryanassa and father of Broteas, Niobe and Pelops [1]. In Greek and Roman literature and the visual arts, T. is represented primarily along with Ixion, Sisyphus and Tityus as the ones undergoing punishment in the underworld. According to Homer, T. stands in the water there but cannot drink from it because it…

[German version] (Μητίων; Mētíōn). Son of Erechtheus and Praxithea, brother of Cecrops (Apollod. 3,15,1). His sons, the Metionids, drive Pandion, the son and heir of Cecrops, from power in Attica, but are in turn overthrown by his sons (Paus. 1,5,3f.; Apollod. 3,15,5). Daedalus [1] was both M.'s grandson, as the son of Eupalamus (Apollod. 3,15,8), and M.'s son (Pherekydes FGrH 3 F 146; Diod. 4,76,1 with M. as the son of Eupalamus and grandson of Erechtheus). Stenger, Jan (Kiel)

[German version] Legendary king of the Sabines (Sabini) in the city of Cures. T. waged war with the Romans because of the rape of the Sabine women (Varro Ling. 5,46; Liv. 1,10,1 f.). Through the treachery of Tarpeia, who was either bribed by T. or in love with him, he succeeded in occupying the Roman Capitol (Capitolium; Liv. 1,11,6; Prop. 4,4; Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 2,38-40; Plut. Romulus 17,2-4). The war with Rome was settled when Romulus [1] and T. concluded a treaty ( foedus; Cic. Rep. 2,13; Verg. Aen. 8,635-641; Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 2,46,1 f.). The two ruled the city toge…

[German version] I. Ancient Orient In Mesopotamia, the legend of the deluge is preserved in a Sumerian as well as an Akkadian version; the Akkadian one is transmitted in 17th-cent. BC copies of the  Atraḫasīs myth[3. 612-645]. Extensive passages reappear verbatim on the 11th tablet of the recension of the Epic of  Gilgamesh from Niniveh [3. 728-738], and the myth is later also transmitted by  Berosus [1. 20 f.]. The gods perceive the noisy behaviour of the humans as hubris, causing them to eliminate …

(Μελίτη; Melítē). [German version] [1] Oceanid Oceanid, playmate of Persephone's (Hom. H. 2, 419). Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [German version] [2] Nereid Nereid (Hom. Il. 18,42; Hes. Theog. 247; Verg. Aen. 5,825). She is present on Attic vases at the struggle between Peleus and Thetis [1]. Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [German version] [3] Naiad Naiad ( Nymphs), daughter of the river-god Aegaeus. When Hercules comes to the land of the Phaeacians to atone for the murder of his children, he fathers a son, Hyllus [2], by M. (Apoll. Rhod. 4,537ff.). Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [German version] [4] Lover of Hercules Dau…

[German version] (Ῥιπαῖα ὄρη; Rhipaîa órē). Mythical chain of mountains on the northern edge of the world, already known from Alcm. fr. 90 PMGF with a somewhat different name form. Sophocles, who used it to denote the north (Soph. OC 1248 with schol.; cf. Aesch. TrGF 3 F 68), also knew it as Rhípai. Both these authors, and others as well, associate the Rhipaia orē (RO) with night (Nyx). This has its roots in speculations about the path of the sun: according to a commonly held theory, the sun goes around the Earth after setting, but in doing so is …

[German version] (Λυταία; Lytaía). One of the Hyacinthides. L., together with her sisters Antheis, Aigleis and Orthaea, is sacrificed in Athens on the grave of Geraestus, the Cyclops, when the city is under siege by Minos and suffering from hunger and plague (Apollod. 3,212; cf. Diod. Sic. 17,15,2). Stenger, Jan (Kiel)

(Μενοίτιος; Menoítios). [German version] [1] Son of Actor and Aegina Son of Actor [1] and Aegina, who settled in Opus (Pind. Ol. 9,69f.); husband of Sthenele (or Periopis or Polymele), father of Patroclus and Myrto (Apollod. 3,13,8; Plut. Aristeides 20,7). In the Ilias M. is designated as hḗrōs (Hom. Il. 11,771; 18,325). When Patroclus killed Cleitonymus, son of Aphidamas, in battle, M. fled with him to Peleus in Phthia. From there, he sent his son to Troy, in support of Achilles [1] (Hom. Il. 23,83ff.; 11,765ff.). M. himself remained in Pht…

[German version] (Μινώταυρος; Minṓtauros). Hybrid of man and bull (probably as early as in Hes. Cat. 145), with the animal half generally more prominent. The Minotaur is the product of the union of Pasiphae, the wife of Minos, with the bull that Poseidon sends Minos to consolidate his rule. Daedalus [1] prepares Pasiphae a hollow wooden cow as a disguise to enable congress with the bull (Bakchyl. 26). Minos shuts the resulting Minotaur up in the Labyrinth, where either it is generally fed with huma…

[German version] (Νέμεσις/ Némesis). Greek goddess and personification of retribution, avenger of hýbris , daughter of Nyx/Night (Hes. Theog. 223f.). As a mythical figure, N. played a role in the ‘Cypria (Kypria) as the mother of Helen [1]. Beset by aidṓs (shame) and némesis (a feeling of internal reluctance), N. tried to flee from Zeus, who pursued her over sea and land to mate with her. On her flight she transformed herself into all kinds of land and sea creatures (Cypria F 7 EpGF). When she had taken on the form of a goose, Zeus overc…

(Ξάνθος). [English version] [1] Name mehrerer Gestalten der griech. Mythologie Name mehrerer männl. Gestalten der griech. Myth.: 1) Sohn des Phainops [2], der von Diomedes [1] vor Troia getötet wird (Hom. Il. 5,152-158). 2) Sohn des Triopas und der Oreasis. X. erhält einen Teil Lykiens; von dort aus besiedelt er die menschenleere Insel Lesbos (Diod. 5,81,2; Hyg. fab. 145). 3) Einer der Söhne des Aigyptos, den die Danaostochter Arkadia tötet (Hyg. fab. 170). 4) Ein Sohn der Niobe (Pherekydes FGrH 3 F 126).…

(Μενεσθεύς). [English version] [1] athen. Anführer vor Troja Sohn des Peteos, Urenkel des Erechtheus. M. führt vor Troia das Kontingent der Athener mit fünfzig Schiffen; nur Nestor kommt ihm darin gleich, Pferde und Krieger zur Schlacht zu ordnen (Hom. Il. 2,552ff.). Während Theseus im Hades zurückgehalten wird, erobern die Dioskuren Aphidna und setzen M. in Athen als König ein. Die Söhne des Theseus fliehen nach Euboia. Da M. die Gunst der Athener gewinnt, weisen sie Theseus bei seiner Rückkehr ab (Pau…

[English version] Sagenhafter König der Sabiner (Sabini) in der Stadt Cures. T. führte gegen die Römer Krieg wegen des Raubs der Sabinerinnen (Varro ling. 5,46; Liv. 1,10,1 f.). Durch den Verrat der Tarpeia, die von T. bestochen bzw. in ihn verliebt war, gelang es ihm, das röm. Kapitol (Capitolium) zu besetzen (Liv. 1,11,6; Prop. 4,4; Dion. Hal. ant. 2,38-40; Plut. Romulus 17,2-4). Der Krieg gegen Rom wurde beigelegt, indem Romulus [1] und T. einen Vertrag ( foedus) schlossen (Cic. rep. 2,13; Verg. Aen. 8,635-641; Dion. Hal. ant. 2,46,1 f.). Beide regierten als gleichb…

(Πάτροκλος, auch Πατροκλῆς; lat. Patroclus). [English version] [1] Gefährte des Achilleus Sohn des Menoitios [1] aus Opus (Hom. Il. 11,814; der Name der Mutter bei Homer nicht genannt, Varianten bei Apollod. 3,176), bester Freund des Achilleus [1]. In seiner Kindheit tötet P. aus Zorn beim Würfeln einen Spielkameraden, worauf er nach Phthia zu Peleus flieht, der ihn dem Achilleus zum Gefährten gibt (Hom. Il. 23,85-90; Hellanikos FGrH 4 F 145; Apollod. 3,176). Nach Pind. O. 9,70-79 kämpft P. schon vor dem e…

[English version] (auch Sopor, griech. ῞Υπνος/ Hýpnos=H.). Als göttliche Personifikation des Schlafes begegnet H. bereits in der Ilias, als Hera ihn auf Lemnos aufsucht und bittet, Zeus einzuschläfern (Hom. Il. 14,230-360). Dafür verspricht sie ihm die Charitin Pasithea [2] (vgl. Catull. 63,42 f.). H. hatte sich, als er dies schon einmal getan hatte, damit Hera nach der ersten Zerstörung Troias Herakles Schaden zufügen konnte, vor Zeus' Zorn zu Nyx (Nacht) flüchten müssen. Deshalb verbirgt er sich nun…

(Θησεύς). Myth. König und Staatsheros der Athener (Athenai). Th. gehört der Generation vor dem Troianischen Krieg an. Er ist Sohn der Aithra, der Tochter des Pittheus; sein göttlicher Vater ist Poseidon, sein menschlicher der athenische König Aigeus. [English version] I. Mythos Th. wächst bei Pittheus in Troizen auf, da Aigeus die schwangere Aithra wegen eines Orakels verläßt. Nachdem er die dort von Aigeus hinterlegten Erkennungszeichen (Schwert, Schuhe) gefunden hat, macht er sich auf den Weg nach Athen. Während der Reise muß Th. meh…

(Μελίτη). [English version] [1] Okeanide Okeanide, Gespielin Persephones (Hom. h. 2, 419). Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [English version] [2] Nereide Nereide (Hom. Il. 18,42; Hes. theog. 247; Verg. Aen. 5,825). Auf att. Vasen ist sie beim Kampf zwischen Peleus und Thetis zugegen [1]. Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [English version] [3] Naiade Naiade (Nymphen), Tochter des Flußgottes Aigaios. Als Herakles ins Land der Phaiaken kommt, um sich vom Mord an seinen Kindern zu entsühnen, zeugt er dort mit M. den Sohn Hyllos [2] (Apoll. Rhod. 4,537ff.). Stenger, Jan (Kiel) [English version] [4] Geliebte des H…