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Poseidon approaches Amymone, whose identity is symbolized by the water jug. The Cupid above represents the erotic motive of the scene (Roman-era mosaic, House of Dionysos at Paphos)

In Greek mythology, Amymone (/æmɪˈmoʊniː/; Ancient Greek: Ἀμυμώνη, romanized: Amymóne, "blameless; innocent"[1]) was one of the 50 Danaids as a daughter of Danaus, king of Libya.[2] As the "blameless" Danaid, her name identifies her as, perhaps, identical to Hypermnestra ("great wooing" or "high marriage"): the one Danaid who did not assassinate her husband on their wedding night.

Family

[edit]

Apollodorus names Amymone as one of the four daughters of Danaus and his consort Europa, the queen of an unnamed country.[3] Amymone's only full sisters are Automate, Agave, and Scaea.[4] She was either the wife of Enceladus or Lynceus, both one of the 50 sons of the Egyptian king Aegyptus.

Mythology

[edit]

Encounter with Poseidon

[edit]
Neptune and Amymone, fresco in Stabiae, Italy, 1st century

Amymone is the subject of multiple, sometimes conflicting myths. She is most well-known for her involvement with Poseidon. In one common telling, Poseidon dried up all the springs around Argos due to Inachus, the first king of Argos, making a sacrifice to Hera and claiming the lands belonged to her instead of Poseidon, whose cult preceded hers in the region.[5][6][7] One day, Amymone was sent out to fetch water. On her trip, she spotted a stag and shot an arrow at it. However, she missed and accidentally struck a satyr who began to pursue her. Seeing this, Poseidon intervened and took her for himself; afterwards the god revealed the springs of Lerna to her, a cult site of great antiquity near the shores of the Argolid.[8][9]

Marble torso of Amymone from a larger group that would have included Poseidon. 2nd-century BC, Archaeological Museum of Delos, Greece.

In another version of the myth, Amymone fell asleep when she was out to fetch water and was attacked by a satyr. Poseidon then intervened and scared the satyr away by throwing his trident, and lodged it in a rock. Poseidon questioned why she was there, and after hearing the reason— to fetch water— he had Amymone remove his trident from the rock, where a spring then gushed forth.[7][9] This fountain, river, or spring created by and named after Amymone is mentioned by multiple ancient authors including Pliny,[10] Ovid,[11] and Apollodorus.[12] They claim the spring is near to the lake of Lerna where the hydra lived. However, authors such as Pausanias claim that the hydra instead lived in the river Amymone.[13]

After Poseidon took Amymone, she gave birth to Naupilus, a renowned seafarer and navigator who gave his name to the port city of Nafplio (Nauplia).[14]

Aeschylus wrote a now lost satyr play called Amymone about the seduction of Amymone by Poseidon, which followed the trilogy that included The Suppliants.[15]

As a Danaid

[edit]

According to Apollodorus, she is the wife of Prince Enceladus, whom she slew on their wedding night.[3] This would have made her one of the 49 Danaids who killed their husbands, with only Hypermnestra refusing.[16] However, she has also been named as the innocent Danaid who refused to kill her husband, therefore either making Amymone and Hypermnestra the same figure, or replacing Hypermnestra.[17] In this version of the myth, her husband would have been Lynceus and she would have given birth to Abas, the first of the Danaid Dynasty that led to Perseus, the legendary founder of Mycenae.[18]

Amymone is represented by a water pitcher, a reminder of the sacred springs and lake of Lerna and of the copious wells that made Argos the "well-watered" and, by contrast, a reminder that her sisters were forever punished in Tartarus for their murderous crimes by being forever forced to carry a jug to fill a bathtub (pithos) without a bottom (or with a leak) to wash away their sins.[19]

Daughter of Inachus

[edit]

A naiad daughter of Inachus, sister of Messeis, Io and Hyperia, shares her name.[20] The two Amymone might have been conflagrated at a time.

References

[edit]
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Amymone

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In Greek mythology, Amymone (Ancient Greek: Ἀμυμώνη, meaning "blameless") was one of the fifty Danaïdes, the daughters of King Danaus, who emigrated from Libya to Argos in the Peloponnese during a time of drought.[1] She is best known for her mythical encounter with the god Poseidon, who rescued her from a satyr's assault while she sought water sources, then lay with her and struck the earth with his trident to create the spring of Lerna, thereby relieving Argos's water scarcity.[2] Their union produced the son Nauplius, a famed navigator and founder of Nauplia, who later became notorious for luring ships to destruction using false beacons.[3] Amymone's parentage is attributed solely to Danaus in most accounts, though some sources name her mother as Europa, Danaus's wife.[4] As a Danaïd, she was wed to one of the fifty sons of Aegyptus, her cousins, in a forced mass marriage arranged by Danaus to evade their pursuit; like her sisters, she is said to have slain her husband Enceladus on their wedding night as part of the Danaïdes' vengeful plot, though her epithet "blameless" may reflect her innocence in the broader fratricidal curse or her distinct role in the water myth.[5] The spring she discovered, located in the marshy region of Lerna near Argos, held cult significance and was later associated with the Lernaean Hydra slain by Heracles, with ancient sources describing a plane tree at its source as the site where the monster once lurked.[4] Amymone also appears as a naiad nymph of the Lernaean spring in some traditions, sometimes distinct from the Danaïd but often conflated, emphasizing her role as a water deity tied to Argive hydrology and Poseidon's dominion over seas and springs.[6] Her story inspired Aeschylus's lost satyr play Amymone, part of his Danaid tetralogy, which likely dramatized the comedic and erotic elements of her pursuit and union with the god.[7] Archaeological evidence, including ancient mosaics and vase paintings, depicts her scene with Poseidon, underscoring her enduring cultural resonance in classical art as a symbol of fertility, rescue, and the origins of vital water sources in arid landscapes.[5]

Etymology and Identity

Name and Epithets

The name Amymone (Ancient Greek: Ἀμυμώνη) derives from the adjective amymōn (ἀμύμων), meaning "blameless," "noble," or "innocent," composed of the privative prefix a- (ἀ-, "not") and mōmos (μῶμος), denoting "blame" or "disgrace." This etymology underscores her portrayal as a figure of moral purity within Greek mythology, setting her apart from the collective guilt associated with her familial line.[5] Amymone is frequently referred to by the epithet "the blameless Danaid," a title that highlights her unique innocence compared to her 49 sisters, who faced eternal punishment in the underworld for murdering their husbands on their wedding night.[5] This distinction emphasizes her exemption from the familial curse of bloodshed, positioning her as a symbol of untainted virtue amid themes of retribution and divine intervention.[5] Ancient sources preserve references to her name that evoke this purity, such as Pausanias' account of a river in Argolis named Amymone after Danaus' daughter, implying her enduring legacy as an unblemished archetype even in the face of mythological adversities like divine pursuit.[8]

Mythological Roles

In Greek mythology, Amymone is primarily known as one of the fifty Danaids, the daughters of King Danaus, who led their family in a migration from Libya to Argos in the Peloponnese to escape persecution by Danaus's brother Aegyptus and his sons.[1] This role positions her within the broader narrative of familial conflict and divine intervention in early Argive history, where the Danaids represent a group of immigrant women seeking refuge and establishing ties to the land through ritual and survival challenges.[1] A secondary tradition identifies Amymone as a naiad nymph associated with the spring of Lerna in Argolis, portrayed in some accounts as a daughter of the river-god Inachus rather than Danaus, alongside sisters such as Messeis and Hyperia.[9] In this variant, she embodies the local aquatic spirits of the region, lamenting events like the exile of Io in epic poetry.[9] These depictions highlight her nymphic essence tied to freshwater sources, distinct from the migratory Danaid lineage. Scholars reconcile these portrayals by viewing Amymone typically as a single figure who bridges both identities, with the naiad tradition emphasizing her pre-existing connections to Argive hydrology independent of the Danaid arrival, though occasional accounts treat them as separate entities to underscore localized water myths.[6] Her association with springs in Argolis, including those at Lerna and other fountains like Physadea, Hippe, and Automate, symbolizes fertility and divine favor, as these waters alleviated droughts and sustained the land's prosperity in mythological lore.[10]

Family and Relations

Parentage and Siblings

In Greek mythology, Amymone was one of the fifty Danaids, the daughters of Danaus, a king in Libya who traced his ancestry to the Argive line through Io.[1] According to Apollodorus, Danaus fathered several of his daughters, including Amymone, Automate, Agave, and Scaea, with a nymph named Europa.[1] This parentage positioned Amymone within a large sisterhood bound by their father's directives and the family's tumultuous history. An alternative tradition, however, portrays Amymone as a naiad daughter of the river-god Inachus rather than Danaus, emphasizing her local Argive origins as a spring nymph at Lerna.[9] In this variant from Valerius Flaccus, she appears among Inachus's offspring, wailing alongside other naiads during Io's exile, which underscores a distinct lineage tied to Argive hydrology rather than the Danaid migration.[9] The Danaid family's relocation from Libya to Argos was driven by Danaus's flight from his brother Aegyptus and the latter's fifty sons, who sought to marry the Danaids and consolidate power.[5] Upon arriving in the arid region of Argos, Danaus and his daughters were granted asylum by King Pelasgus, who ruled at the time; Danaus later became king through claim of ancestry.[11] Among her sisters, Amymone's name means "blameless," though in standard accounts she participated in the killing of her husband like most Danaids, unlike Hypermnestra who spared hers.[5]

Marriage and Offspring

As one of the fifty Danaids, Amymone was assigned in marriage to Enceladus, a son of Aegyptus, as part of the forced unions arranged by her father Danaus upon the family's arrival in Argos from Libya. In accordance with Danaus's directive to avert further conflict, Amymone and her sisters slew their bridegrooms on the wedding night; she specifically killed Enceladus with a weapon provided by her father.[1] In minor mythological variants, Amymone is sometimes identified with the "blameless" Danaid who spared her husband, akin to Hypermnestra, who defied Danaus by saving Lynceus. In such accounts, she is credited with bearing Abas to Lynceus, who became an early king of Argos. Amymone's divine liaison with Poseidon resulted in the birth of Nauplius, a celebrated seafarer who founded the port town of Nauplia (modern Nafplio) in Argolis and became an ancestor to notable figures in maritime lore.[1][4] Nauplius's exploits as a navigator and shipwrecker further linked Amymone's progeny to broader Greek myths of the sea.

Mythological Narratives

Encounter with Poseidon

During a severe drought afflicting Argos, caused by Poseidon's wrath toward the river god Inachus, King Danaus dispatched his daughters, including Amymone, to the marshy region of Lerna in search of water sources.[1] This dire need for hydration set the stage for Amymone's perilous journey, as the land parched under the unrelenting sun.[1] As Amymone wandered through Lerna, she aimed her dart at a deer but struck a sleeping satyr instead, awakening the lustful creature who then pursued her with intent to ravish.[1] In Aeschylus' lost satyr-play Amymone, this encounter escalates with a group of satyrs harassing the maiden, but Poseidon intervenes dramatically, hurling his trident to petrify or scatter the assailant, thus defending her honor.[7] The god's timely arrival not only repels the threat but shifts the narrative toward his own amorous pursuit.[1] Poseidon, now enamored, seduced Amymone in the seclusion of Lerna, and as a gift or in consummation of their union, he thrust his trident into the earth, causing a bountiful spring to erupt and alleviate Argos' thirst.[4] This spring, thereafter known as the Spring of Amymone, became a vital water source in the region.[4] Philostratus' Imagines (1.8) vividly describes a painted depiction of this moment, portraying Poseidon striding from the sea with trident raised, Amymone fleeing in modest terror, and the ground yielding fresh waters at the divine strike.[12]

Role Among the Danaids

Amymone was one of the fifty Danaids, the daughters of King Danaus, who migrated from Libya to Argos and were compelled to marry the sons of their uncle Aegyptus as part of a forced political alliance. Fearing subjugation by his brother's lineage, Danaus commanded his daughters to slay their bridegrooms on their wedding night using concealed daggers, an act intended to preserve their autonomy and avert a merger of power.[1] Assigned to Enceladus, son of Aegyptus, Amymone carried out the mandate by killing her husband, joining the other Danaids in the mass murder that left only her sister Hypermnestra as the exception.[5] Her epithet "Amymone," meaning "blameless" or "irreproachable," underscores a perceived moral ambiguity in variants of the myth, potentially arising from divine intervention or her role in benefiting Argos prior to the weddings.[5] Following the crime, the Danaids faced purification rites but were ultimately condemned in Hades to the eternal, futile task of filling bottomless vessels or sieves with water drawn from the Styx, symbolizing their inability to cleanse the blood from their hands.[13] While this punishment applied to the group as the Belides, Amymone's later association with a vital spring is interpreted in some traditions as offering partial redemption, distinguishing her from the unrelenting torment of her sisters.[5] Thematically, Amymone represents a figure of reluctant innocence ensnared in cycles of familial violence and retribution, her compliance tempered by an aura of purity that contrasts sharply with Hypermnestra's deliberate act of mercy toward her spared husband Lynceus.[1]

Cultural Legacy

In Ancient Literature

Amymone's earliest literary portrayal appears in Aeschylus' satyr play Amymone, produced around 463 BCE as part of his Danaid tetralogy, where the narrative centers on her comedic pursuit by a satyr while seeking water amid an Argive drought, followed by Poseidon's intervention and union with her.[14] Surviving fragments depict the god claiming her as his destined wife in a humorous, exaggerated tone characteristic of satyr drama, emphasizing themes of pursuit and divine reward through the spring's creation.[5] Pseudo-Apollodorus' Bibliotheca, compiled in the 2nd century CE, provides a concise genealogical account of Amymone as one of Danaus' daughters sent to Lerna for water, her accidental spearing of a sleeping satyr, Poseidon's rescue and seduction, and the resulting spring that ends the drought.[15] The text further details her marriage to Enceladus, one of the sons of Aegyptus, and the birth of their son Nauplius, integrating her into the broader Danaid lineage without the comedic elements of Aeschylus.[16] In Hellenistic literature, Callimachus references Amymone in his Aetia (3rd century BCE), fragment 66, as a water nymph and Poseidon's bride, invoking her name alongside other Argive springs like Physadeia and Hippe to explain their etymological and mythological origins. This portrayal shifts focus to her naiad identity, blending aetiological inquiry with poetic homage to local hydrology. Pausanias' Description of Greece (2nd century CE) ties Amymone to Argive geography, noting a river or spring named after her near Lerna and affirming her as Danaus' daughter who bore Nauplius to Poseidon, while linking the site to the Danaids' broader story.[17] His periegetic style uses her myth to illuminate regional landmarks, such as the Inachus River's associations.[18] Roman texts offer briefer allusions; Ovid's Metamorphoses (1st century CE) names the spring of Amymone in Book 2 during a geographical catalog, evoking her myth implicitly through the site's drought-ending waters, and includes the Danaids' collective punishment in Book 4.[19] Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica (1st century CE) groups her with other nymphs in Book 4, mentioning Amymone wailing as the Argonauts depart, portraying her as a lamenting water deity tied to the landscape. Beyond these, Amymone receives limited attention in post-Hellenistic literature, with no extensive Roman adaptations or epic expansions, her role evolving from dramatic protagonist to minor etiological figure in geographical and poetic contexts.[5]

Worship and Iconography

Amymone received local cult honors in Argolis, primarily associated with the springs of Lerna, where her mythological encounter with Poseidon was believed to have created vital water sources for the arid region.[17] Near Lerna, in the area of Temenium, a sanctuary of Aphrodite stood by the sea, featuring a stone image dedicated by the daughters of Danaus; this linked the cult to the Danaids' story and the life-giving role of water.[17] Archaeological excavations at Lerna reveal a long history of ritual activity at the site, including prehistoric structures and classical-era shrines to Poseidon and other deities linked to water provision, underscoring Amymone's integration into broader hydro-centric veneration.[20] Worship practices centered on Amymone's role in alleviating droughts, with locals invoking her through offerings at the Lerna springs for rainfall and agricultural fertility, though no evidence exists for large-scale festivals.[21] These rituals tied into Argive cults of Poseidon, her divine consort, and Danaus, her father, where water libations and prayers during dry seasons commemorated the myth's resolution of thirst in "very parched Argos."[22] Variant local traditions in Argolis may have emphasized her as a nymph-heroine, with minor shrines invoking her for well-being, but her veneration remained confined to the region without panhellenic expansion. In iconography, Amymone appears as a youthful maiden, often in dynamic pursuit scenes with Poseidon, symbolizing her quest for water amid Argive drought.[23] Attic red-figure vase paintings from the 5th century BCE frequently depict her holding a hydria (water jug), as on a hydria attributed to the circle of the Meidias Painter (ca. 430–410 BCE), where she flees a satyr while Poseidon intervenes with his trident.[24] Another example, an Attic red-figure lekythos by the Phiale Painter (ca. 440 BCE), shows Poseidon advancing toward her with trident raised, emphasizing the erotic and salvific elements of their encounter.[25] The hydria serves as her primary symbol, representing the water she sought, while the trident alludes to Poseidon's role in striking the spring; later Greco-Roman mosaics, such as a 3rd-century CE example from Paphos, continue this motif with Amymone at the newly revealed fountain.[26] These portrayals blend her as a vulnerable Danaid with chthonic and aquatic themes, often in terracotta vessels used in household rituals.[27]

References

  1. APOLLODORUS, THE LIBRARY BOOK 2 - Theoi Classical Texts ...
  2. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D4
  3. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0104%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D5
  4. PAUSANIAS, DESCRIPTION OF GREECE 2.29-38
  5. AMYMONE - Argive Danaid of Greek Mythology
  6. AMYMONE - Argive Naiad Nymph of Greek Mythology
  7. Aeschylus' Amymone and the mythos of the Satyric Drama
  8. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D37%3Asection%3D1
  9. VALERIUS FLACCUS, ARGONAUTICA BOOK 4
  10. None
  11. PHILOSTRATUS THE ELDER, IMAGINES BOOK 1.1-15
  12. IV - johnstoniatexts
  13. AESCHYLUS, FRAGMENTS 1-56 - Theoi Classical Texts Library
  14. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D4
  15. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D1%3Asection%3D5
  16. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D37%3Asection%3D1
  17. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160%3Abook%3D2%3Achapter%3D38%3Asection%3D2
  18. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028%3Abook%3D2%3Acard%3D240
  19. Archaeological Site of Lerna, 'House of Tiles' & Stone Enclosure
  20. POSEIDON CULT 1 - Ancient Greek Religion
  21. [PDF] Orestes in Olympia - Classics@ Journal
  22. Poseidon & Amymone - Ancient Greek Vase Painting
  23. Attic red-figure hydria (water jar) depicting the story of Amymone and ...
  24. Attributed to the Phiale Painter - Terracotta lekythos (oil flask)
  25. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D1%3Asection%3D8
  26. Terracotta hydria: kalpis (water jar) - Greek, Attic - Late Classical
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