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(Θεμιστώ; Themistṓ). [German version] [1] Daughter of the Lapith Hypseus Daughter of the Lapith Hypseus, third wife of Athamas (Herodoros 31 F 38 FGrH; Apollod. 1,84; Ath. 13,560d; Nonn. Dion. 9,305-307; Tzetz. Lykophr. 22), who is the father of her several children. Her predecessors were Nephele [1] and Ino. When the latter returns, T., tries to kill her children (Hyg. Fab. 4,239, otherwise in Fab. 1). By means of a change of clothing Ino causes T. to kill her own children, whereupon T. takes her own life. Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [2] Ancestor of the Arcadians Daught…

(Ἠλέκτρα; Ēléktra). [German version] [1] Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys The daughter of  Oceanus and  Tethys; wife of Thaumas, mother of  Iris and the  harpies Aello and Ocypete (Hes. Theog. 265ff.; 349; Hom. H. 2,418; Apollod. 1,10). Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [2] Daughter of Danaus and the Naiad Polyxo The daughter of  Danaus and the Naiad Polyxo (Apollod. 2,19; Hyg. Fab. 170). Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [3] Daughter of Atlas and Pleione The daughter of  Atlas and Pleione. One of the  Pleiades. E.'s place of birth is the Cyllene range in Arcadia (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 1,61; Apollod. 3,110), but she is also associated with Samothrace (Hes. Fr. 177 MW; Conon FGrH 26F1,21; Apoll. Rhod. 1,916; Val. Fl. 2,431). By Zeus the mother of  Dardanus (Hyg. Poet Astr. 2,21), of  Iasion (or Aëtion) and  Harmonia (Hellanicus FGrH 4F23; Diod. Sic. 5,48f.), through whom she probably also entered t…

[German version] (Πηνελόπη/ Pēnelópē, Homeric: Πηνελόπεια/ Pēnelópeia, Latin Penelope, Penelopa). Wife of Odysseus. From antiquity, her name has been interpreted in two ways: according to one, P. means 'weaveress', in reference to the typical female activity which plays such a central role in the Odyssey, while according to the other, her name is derived from pēnélops ('duck'), with the explanation that she had allegedly been thrown into the sea by her parents and had been saved by ducks. For an etymological explanation of P.'s name, see [1]. P. was the daughter of the Arcadian king Icarius [2] and the nymphPeriboea [1] (Apollod. 3,126) or Asterodia (Pherecydes in Schol. Hom. Od. 1,275; 4,797; 15,16); other names are mentioned, too, and there is little agreement as to the number and names of her siblings. In her home region of Arcadia, she was regarded as the mother of Pan by…

[German version] (Ἄλκηστις; Alkēstis). Daughter of  Pelias and Anaxibie (Hom. Il. 2,714). Her participation in the supposed rejuvenation of Pelias (Diod. Sic. 4,52,2; 53,2; Hyg. Fab. 24) does not fit with A.'s hand being asked of Pelias by  Admetus of Pherae -- which with Apollo's help was successful. Admetus can only escape the death he is to suffer, according to later sources (Apollod. 1,105) because of a neglected sacrifice, if someone dies in his place. Only A. declares herself prepared to do t…

[German version] (Ἐριφύλη; Eriphýlē). Daughter of Talaus; sister of  Adrastus and wife of the seer  Amphiaraus in Argus, who were reconciled after a feud and were willing to submit to E.'s judgement in case of future quarrels. Amphiaraus, in anticipation of his death,…

(Ἰσμήνη; Ismḗnē). [German version] [1] Theban heroine Theban heroine, who because of her romantic connection with  Periclymenus incurs the wrath of Athene and is killed by  Tydeus (Mimn. Fr. 21 IEG; Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 95). In the 5th cent. BC she was integrated into the Oedipus myth by the tragedians: as the daughter of  Oedipus and  Jocasta or  Eurygane, as the sister of  Antigone [3],  Eteocles [1] and  Polynices, she survives with Antigone the attack of the Seven Against Thebes (Aeschyl. Sept. 861f…

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(Εὐρώπη; Eurṓpē). [German version] [1] Geographic concept Originally reserved for the female mythological figure ( E. [2]; cf. Hes. Theog. 357, 359), as a geographical term E. initially referred to central Greece (cf. Hom. H. ad Apollinem 251, 291) and the Thracian-Macedonian north (cf. Hdt. 6,43; 7,8), as opposed to the Peloponnese in the south, the Ionian Islands in the west and the Aegean islands, and separated from the Asiatic land-mass by the Aegean Sea, the Hellespont, Propontis, the Bosporus and Pontus Euxinus. As awareness grew during the ‘great colonisation’ that the Black Sea/Pontus Euxinus was enclosed to the east (Mimnermus in the 7th cent. still has it differently; cf. Str. 1,2,40), the frontier between E. (used with increasing frequency to describe all land outside Asia, cf. Hecat. in Hdt. 4,36) and Asia became problematic; for here the two regions were not clearly distinguished from one another: the eastern frontier of E. was set at the Tanais (Hdt. 4,45,2; Str. 1,4,7; 7,4,5; 11,1,1), at t…

[German version] (Αἴθρα; Aíthra). Daughter of Pittheus king of Troezen, mother of  Theseus by  Aegeus or Poseidon (Bacchyl. 17,33 ff. SM; Apollod. 3,208; 216; Hyg. Fab. 37). The variant at Paus. 2,33,1 explains the founding of temples of Athena Apaturia on the island Sphaerea by A. Theseus entrusts  Helen to A. who had bee…

(Δίρκη; Dírkē). [German version] [1] Daughter of Ismenus Daughter of Ismenus (Callim. H. 4,75ff.), wife of king  Lycus. Both are hostile to Lycus' niece  Antiope [2]; after Antiope had failed in her attempt to escape, D. and Lycus handed her over to her twin sons  Amphion and Zethus, whom she had abandoned at birth, to have her dragged to death by a bull. However, the sons recognize their mother just in time and then proceed to make D. suffer that very punishment (Eur. in Hyg. Fab. 7f.; Plaut. Pseud. 19…

(Ἀντιγόνη; Antigónē). [German version] [1] Daughter of Thessalian  Phere Daughter of Thessalian  Phere and mother of the Argonaut Asterion (Hyg. Fab. 14,1). Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [2] Daughter of king Eurytion of Phthia Daughter of king Eurytion of Phthia, wife of  Peleus, by whom she has a daughter Polydora (Pherec. FGrH 3 F 61a). Peleus accidentally kills Eurytio…

(Ἱππολύτη; Hippolýtē). [German version] [1] Amazon, daughter of Ares  Amazon in the myth of Heracles and Theseus, daughter of  Ares and of Otrere. Heracles was ordered by  Eurystheus to rob H. of the belt of Ares (Apoll. Rhod. 2,778ff.; 966ff.; Hyg. Fab. 30; Apollod. 2,98). According to some sources, he kills H. in the process (Eur. HF 407ff.). In conflicting versions of the myth of Theseus, H.,  Antiope [2] or  Glauce [3] appear as the wife of Theseus (Isoc. Or. 12,193; Plut. These…

[German version] (Φιλομηλείδης; Philomēleídēs). Mythical king of the island of Lesbos, who challenged those sailing by to a wrestling match. Odysseus defeated him, according to Hom. Od. 4,343 = 17,134 in the fight, but according to Hellanicus FGrH 4 F 150 by deceit together with Diomedes [1].…

[German version] (Ἀλόπη; Alópē). Daughter of king  Cercyon of Eleusis (Pherec. FGrH 3 F147), loved by Poseidon, to whom she bears  Hippothoon. She abandons the child; it is suckled by a mare and is found by shepherds, who bring the dispute about the valuable identification marks before the king. He recognizes the marks, locks A. up, and lets her starve. The child is abandoned a second time, again nurtured by the mare and brought up by shepherds. Poseidon transforms A. into a sp…

[German version] (Κλυταιμήστρα; Klytaimḗstra…

[German version] (Ἑκάβη/ Hekábē, Lat. Hecuba). Wife of the Trojan king  Priamus, mother of numerous children (Hom. Il. 24,496; Eur. Hec. 421), among them  Hector,  Paris/Alexander,  Cassandra,  Polyxene and  Troilus. Her parentage is unclear, in Hom. Il. 16,718f. she is the daughter of king  Dymas [1], in Eur. Hec. 3 of king Cisseus (cf. also Hyg. Fab. 91; 111; 243), and in Apollod. 3,148 of Sangarius. Her mother is mentioned in Suet. Tib. 70,3. In Homer, at Hector's urging, she goes to Athena's te…

(Κλυμένη; Klyménē, Clymene). [German version] [1] Mother of Atlas [2]  Oceanid, wife of  Iapetus, who by her fathered  Atlas [2],  Prometheus and Epimetheus (Hes. Theog. 351; 507ff.; Hyg. Fab. praef. 11,31). In Euripides (Phaethon 1ff.; 45ff. Diggle; cf. also Ov. Met. 1,750ff.; Hyg. Fab. 152a; 154; 156) she is the mother of  Phaethon. Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [2] Nereid  Nereid (Hom. Il. 18,47; Hyg. Fab. praef. 8), who according to Pausanias (2,18,1) had with  Dictys [1] an altar in Athens as saviour of Perseu…

(Λαοθόη; Laothóē). [German version] [1] Daughter of Thespius Daughter of Thespius, by Heracles [1] mother of Antiphus (Apollod. 2,163). Harder, Ruth Elisabeth (Zürich) [German version] [2] Lover of Apollo Lover of Apollo, by whom she bears Thestor, grandmother of Calchas (Pherecydes FGrH 3 F 108).…

(Κρέουσα; Kréousa, Latin Creusa). [German version] [1] Daughter of Gaia and Oceanus Daughter of Gaia and Oceanus, who bears  Hypseus and Stilbe to the river god Peneius (Pind. Pyth. 9,14f.; Diod. Sic. 4,69).…

[German version] (Ἀνδρομάχη; Andromáchē). Daughter of king Eetion in Hypoplacian Thebes, wife of  Hector, mother of  Astyanax-Scamandrius (Hom. Il. 6,395 ff.). At her wedding (Sappho fr. 44 Voigt) Aphrodite gives her gifts (Hom. Il. 22,470). Hector is affectionate towards A., especially after the death of her family (Hom. Il. 6,370 ff.). Her lament for her fallen spouse is impressive (Hom. Il. 22,477 ff.; 24,723 ff.). Her son is murdered after the conquest of Troy (Ilioupersis arg. fr. 5 PEG; Eur. …