Iphimedeia

In Greek mythology, Iphimedeia (/ˌɪfɪmɪˈdə/; Ancient Greek: Ἰφιμέδεια) or Iphimede (Ἰφιμέδη) was a Thessalian princess. She was attested in Homer's Odyssey in the Catalogue of women as being a mortal.

Iphimedia
Princess of Thessaly
Member of the Thessalian Royal Family
Other namesIphimede, Iphimedea, Iphimedia
AbodeThessaly
Personal information
ParentsTriopas and Hiscilla
SiblingsErysichthon and Phorbas
Consort(1) Poseidon
(2) Aloeus
Children(1) Aloadae (Otus and Ephialtes)
(2) Aloadae and Pancratis (Pancrato)

Family

Iphimedia was the daughter of Triopas of Thessaly (a son of Poseidon and Canace) and probably by Hiscilla, daughter of King Myrmidon of Phthia.[1] Her possible brothers were Erysichthon[2] and Phorbas.[3]

Iphimedea had by Poseidon the twins Otus and Ephialtes who were called the Aloadae after their stepfather.[4] One account called these men's natural father as Aloeus, husband and paternal uncle of Iphimede.[5] The latter mothered as well Pancratis[6] (or Pancrato[7]) to Aloeus. She was probably also the mother of Elate and Platanus, the sisters of the Aloadae.

Mythology

Early years

Iphimedeia also fell in love with Poseidon, god of the sea, and would often come to the sea shore where she poured the sea water in her lap, until the god came and answered her feelings (cf. the story of Tyro).[8]

Thracian abduction

Iphimedia's daughter Pancratis was renowned for her beauty. When the two participated in the celebration of the orgies of Dionysus near Drius in Achaea Phthiotis, they were carried off by the companions of the Thracian king Butes and brought to the island of Strongyle (later Naxos) where Pancratis was given in marriage to the new king Agassamenus and Iphimedia to a friend and lieutenant of his. Two other leaders, Sicelus and Hecetorus, had fought over Pancratis and killed each other (or else they were Scellis and Agassamenus themselves). Soon after, Otus and Ephialtes, sent by Aloeus, defeated the Thracians and rescued their mother and sister but Pancratis died not much later.[9]

Connection with Hekate

Iphimedeia was one of the heroines whose spirits Odysseus encountered at the entrance of the Underworld.[10]

According to Pietro Scarpi, Iphimedeia should be placed in the chthonic realm as a double of Hekate.[11]

Ancient cults

Her name seems to be attested in Mycenaean Greek in the Linear B syllabic script at Pylos in the form 𐀂𐀟𐀕𐀆𐀊, i-pe-me-de-ja.[12][13]

Pausanias mentions a painting of Iphimedeia by Polygnotus, and remarks that she was honored by the Carians in Mylasa.[14]

The tomb of Iphimedeia and her sons was shown at Anthedon in Boetia.[15]

Notes

  1. Hyginus, De Astronomica 2.14.5
  2. Callimachus, Hymn to Demeter 31–32 & 96-100
  3. Homeric Hymns to Apollo 3.211
  4. Homer, Odyssey 11.305; Pindar, Pythian Ode 4.89; Hyginus, Fabulae 28
  5. Pausanias, 9.22.6
  6. Diodorus Siculus, 5.50.651.2
  7. Parthenius, Erotica Pathemata 19
  8. Apollodorus, 1.7.4
  9. Diodorus Siculus, 5.50.651.2; Parthenius, Erotica Pathemata 19
  10. Homer, Odyssey 11.305
  11. Pietro Scarpi, "Un teonimo miceneo e le sue implicazioni per la mitologia greca," Bolletino dell'Istituto di Filologia greca dell'Università di Padova 2 (1975) 230-51
  12. Pylos Tn 316 inscription
  13. "The Linear B word i-pe-me-de-ja". Palaeolexicon. Word study tool of Ancient languages. Raymoure, K.A. "Pylos PY Tn Linear B Series". Minoan Linear A & Mycenaean Linear B. Deaditerranean. Archived from the original on 2013-10-13. Retrieved 2014-03-13. "PY 316 Tn (44)". DĀMOS Database of Mycenaean at Oslo. University of Oslo.
  14. Pausanias, 10.28.8
  15. Pausanias, 9.22.6

References

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