Alcinoe

Summary

Alcinoe (/ælˈsɪn./; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκινόη Alkinóē) is the name that is attributed to three women in Greek mythology:

  • Alcinoe, a naiad, and one of the nymphai Lykaaides (nymphs of Mount Lykaios in Arkadia). Her parents possibly were Oceanus and Tethys. She had her fellow nymphs assist Rhea whilst she was in labour with Zeus and helped nurse the infant god.[1]
  • Alcinoe, daughter of King Polybus of Corinth and Periboea. She became the wife of Amphilochus, son of Dryas. Alcinoe refused to pay the full wages to Nicandra, a weaver she had hired, and the woman prayed to Athena to avenge her. The goddess afflicted Alcinoe with a passion for Xanthus of Samos and she left her husband and children and ran away with him. Coming to her senses in the middle of the voyage, she wept bitter tears and threw herself into the sea.[2]
  • Alcinoe, a daughter of Sthenelus, and a granddaughter of Perseus.[3]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Pausanias, 8.47.3
  2. ^ Parthenius, Erotica Pathemata 27
  3. ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.5

References edit

  • Parthenius, Love Romances translated by Sir Stephen Gaselee (1882–1943), S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 69. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1916. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
  • Parthenius, Erotici Scriptores Graeci, Vol. 1. Rudolf Hercher. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1858. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
  • Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. ISBN 0-674-99328-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
  • Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.


This article includes a list of Greek mythological figures with the same or similar names. If an internal link for a specific Greek mythology article referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended Greek mythology article, if one exists.