Cleocharia

Summary

In Greek mythology, Cleocharia (/ˌklˈkɛəriə/;[1] Ancient Greek: Κλεοχαρείας Kleokhareia) was a naiad of Laconia who later on became the queen-consort of King Lelex of Lelegia. She was the ancestress of the Spartan royal family and gave birth to Eurotas (presumably named after his grandfather). Eurotas had a daughter named Sparta, who married Lacedaemon.[2] The latter named the city of Sparta after his wife. However, the city's name would also be his own, as it was called either Lacedaemon or Sparta interchangeably.

Cleocharia
Naiad queen of Lelegia
Member of the Sparta Royal Family
AbodeLelegia (later called Laconia)
Personal information
Parents?Eurotas
Siblingsunknown
ConsortLelex
Children(1) Eurotas
(2) ?Myles and Polycaon

In some accounts, Lelex's two children were Myles and Polycaon possibly by Cleocharia. In this account, Myles was the father of Eurotas instead.[3]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Bolles, William, ed. (1845). An Explanatory and Phonographic Pronouncing Dictionary of the English Language. New London: Bolles & Williams. p. 859.
  2. ^ Apollodorus, 3.10.3
  3. ^ Pausanias, 3.1.1, 3.20.2, 4.1.1 & 4.1.5

References edit

  • Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website
  • 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.