Harpalyce (daughter of Clymenus)
{{short description|Princess in Greek mythology}}
{{Other uses|Harpalyce (mythology)}}
In Greek mythology, Harpalyce ({{IPAc-en|h|ɑːr|ˈ|p|æ|l|ə|s|iː}}; {{langx|grc|Ἁρπαλύκη|Harpalúkē}}) is a Peloponnesian princess from either Argos or Arcadia, daughter of King Clymenus. Clymenus desired and raped Harpalyce, who then avenged herself by making him unwittingly feast on his own blood. Her tale shares elements with that of Tereus and Procne.
Family
Mythology
In one version of the tale, set in Arcadia, Harpalyce was desired by her incestuous father Clymenus, who ended up raping her.Hyginus, Fabulae [https://topostext.org/work/206#253 253] As a result, Harpalyce conceived and gave birth to a son. She took revenge against her impious father by killing her son,Hyginus, Fabulae [https://topostext.org/work/206#255 255] and then secretly feeding him to Clymenus during a banquet.Lactantius Placidus, On the Thebaid [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_fYj9nL6HlREC/page/266/mode/2up?view=theater 5.120]Hyginus, Fabulae [https://topostext.org/work/206#239 239], [https://topostext.org/work/206#246 246] When Clymenus found out the truth, he killed Harpalyce.Hyginus, Fabulae [https://topostext.org/work/206#206 206], [https://topostext.org/work/206#238 238]
In another version, set in Argos, Harpalyce was betrothed to Alastor, but nevertheless her father Clymenus delevoped an ardent passion for her.{{cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Brill's New Pauly | publisher = Brill Reference Online | url = https://referenceworks.brill.com/display/entries/NPOE/e503590.xml? | doi = 10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e503590 | last = Waldner | first = Katharina | location = Berlin | title = Harpalyce | date = October 1, 2006 | editor-first1 = Hubert | issn = 1574-9347 | editor-last1 = Cancik | editor-first2 = Helmuth | editor-last2 = Schneider | access-date = November 13, 2024}} For some time he managed to restrain himself, but in the end he employed a slave nurse to inform Harpalyce, and the two embarked on a secret affair.{{sfn|Grimal|1987|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/105/mode/2up?view=theater 106], [https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/179/mode/2up?view=theater 180]}} Alastor however came to finally wed her and took her away, with Clymenus’ consent.{{sfn|Grimal|1987|pages=[https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/105/mode/2up?view=theater 106], [https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofclas00grim/page/179/mode/2up?view=theater 180]}} But Clymenus then hurried after them, halted them, seized Harpalyce and returned with her to Argos, where he openly lived with her as his wife.{{sfn|Bell|1991|loc=s.v. [https://archive.org/details/womenofclassical00bell/page/216/mode/2up?view=theater Harpalyce (3)]}}
Harpalyce resented the cruel and vicious treatment she was receiving from Clymenus, so during a festival she cut down her younger brother, who was called Presbon,Scholia on Homer's Iliad 14.291 and served him to Clymenus during the banquet.Euphorion of Chalcis fr. [https://www-loebclassics-com/view/euphorion_chalcis-poetic_fragments/2010/pb_LCL508.243.xml 24a]{{sfn|Stiebert|2016|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=cUDqDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA34 34]}} She then prayed to the gods to be taken away from mankind, and the gods answered by transforming her into a chalkis bird (a type of owl).Parthenius [https://topostext.org/work/550#13 13]Nonnus [https://archive.org/details/dionysiaca01nonnuoft/page/402/mode/2up?view=theater 12.70]
In culture
Jupiter's irregular moon Harpalyke (also known as Jupiter XXII) was named after this mythological figure.{{cite web | url = http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07900/07998.html | title = IAUC 7998: Satellites of Jupiter | access-date = November 30, 2014 | date = 22 October 2002}}
See also
{{portal|Ancient Greece|Mythology}}
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
- {{cite book | last = Bell | first = Robert E. | title = Women of Classical Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary | publisher = ABC-Clio | date = 1991 | isbn = 9780874365818 | url = https://archive.org/details/womenofclassical00bell/mode/2up?view=theater}}
- Euphorion of Chalcis, Fragments in Hellenistic Collection: Philitas. Alexander of Aetolia. Hermesianax. Euphorion. Parthenius. Edited and translated by J. L. Lightfoot. Loeb Classical Library 508. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010.
- {{cite book | author-link = Pierre Grimal | last = Grimal | first = Pierre | title = The Dictionary of Classical Mythology | date = 1987 | publisher = Wiley-Blackwell | isbn = 0-631-13209-0 | url = https://archive.org/details/concisedictionar00grim}}
- Hyginus, Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
- Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), Volume I, from the Loeb Classical Library No 244, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940. [https://archive.org/stream/dionysiaca01nonnuoft#page/n7/mode/2up Online version at Internet Archive.]
- Parthenius, Love Romances translated by Sir Stephen Gaselee (1882-1943), S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 69. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1916. [https://topostext.org/work/550 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
- {{cite book | title = First-Degree Incest and the Hebrew Bible: Sex in the Family | first = Johanna | last = Stiebert | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=cUDqDAAAQBAJ | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing | date = October 20, 2016 | isbn = 978-0-5676-0033-2}}
{{Metamorphoses in Greek mythology}}
Category:Filicide in mythology
Category:Mythological people involved in incest
Category:Mythological rape victims
Category:Metamorphoses into birds in Greek mythology
Category:Mythological Arcadians
Category:Princesses in Greek mythology