In Greek mythology, Iphimedeia (; Ancient Greek: Ἰφιμέδεια) or Iphimede (Ἰφιμέδη) was a Ancient Thessaly princess. She was attested in Homer's Odyssey in the Catalogue of Women as being a mortal.
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.
[Hyginus, De Astronomica 2.14.5] Her possible brothers were Erysichthon
[Callimachus, Hymn to Demeter 31–32 & 96-100] and Phorbas.
[ Homeric Hymns to Apollo 3.211]
Iphimedea had by Poseidon the twins Aloadae who were called the Aloadae after their stepfather.[Homer, Odyssey 11.305; Pindar, Pythian Ode 4.89; Hyginus, Fabulae 28] One account called these men's natural father as Aloeus, husband and paternal uncle of Iphimede.[Pausanias, 9.22.6] The latter mothered as well Pancratis[Diodorus Siculus, 5.50.6– 51.2] (or Pancrato[Parthenius, 19 from the 2nd book of the Naxiaca of Andriscus]) 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).
[Apollodorus, 1.7.4]
Thracian abduction
Iphimedia's daughter Pancratis was renowned for her beauty. When the two participated in the celebration of the
orgia of
Dionysus near Drius in
Achaea Phthiotis, they were carried off by the companions of the
Thracians 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.
[Diodorus Siculus, 5.50.6– 51.2; Parthenius, 19 from the 2nd book of the Naxiaca of Andriscus]
Connection with Hekate
Iphimedeia was one of the heroines whose spirits
Odysseus encountered at the entrance of the
Greek underworld.
[Homer, Odyssey 11.305]
According to Pietro Scarpi, Iphimedeia should be placed in the chthonic realm as a double of Hekate.[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]
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.
[Pylos Tn 316 inscription][ ]
Pausanias mentions a painting of Iphimedeia by Polygnotus, and remarks that she was honored by the in Mylasa.[Pausanias, 10.28.8]
The tomb of Iphimedeia and her sons was shown at Anthedon in Boetia.[Pausanias, 9.22.6]
Notes
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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.
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Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
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Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Gaius Julius Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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Gaius Julius Hyginus, Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
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Homer, Odyssey with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
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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.
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Parthenius, Erotici Scriptores Graeci, Vol. 1. Rudolf Hercher. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1858. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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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. . Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
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Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Ovid, Metamorphoses translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
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Publius Ovidius Naso, Metamorphoses. Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
