Aerope
Encyclopedia
Aërope was a name attributed to two distinct figures in Greek mythology
.
, king of Crete
, and granddaughter of Minos
. Her father, who had received an oracle
that he should lose his life by one of his children, gave her and her sister, Clymene
, to Nauplius
, who was to sell them in a foreign land. Another sister, Apemosyne
, and her brother, Althaemenes
, who had heard of the oracle, had left Crete and gone to Rhodes
. Aërope was given by Nauplius in marriage to either Atreus
or Pleisthenes
, the son of Atreus
, and became the mother of Agamemnon
and Menelaus
. According to the version where Agamemnon and Menelaus's father was Pleisthenes, after the death of Pleisthenes, Aërope married Atreus, and her two sons, who were educated by Atreus, were generally believed to be his sons.
Aërope, however, was unfaithful to Atreus, being seduced by Thyestes
. Aërope helped Thyestes to obtain the lamb with golden fleece which belonged to her husband Atreus; possession of the lamb earned Thyestes the kingdom of Mycenae
.
of Arcadia
. She was loved by Ares
and had by him a son Aëropus, but herself died in labor. By the will of Ares, Aërope's dead body was still able to produce an abundance of breastmilk to feed the newborn Aëropus. From that circumstance, Ares was surnamed Aphneios ("abundant"), and was honored under that surname with a sanctuary on Mount Cresius.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
Wife of Atreus
Aërope was a daughter of CatreusCatreus
In Greek mythology, Catreus was a king of Crete and a son of Minos and Pasiphaë. He had one son, Althaemenes, and three daughters, Apemosyne, Aerope and Clymene. An oracle told Catreus that one of his children would murder him. Terrified he would do so, Althaemenes took Apemosyne and left Crete...
, king of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, and granddaughter of Minos
Minos
In Greek mythology, Minos was a king of Crete, son of Zeus and Europa. Every year he made King Aegeus pick seven men and seven women to go to Daedalus' creation, the labyrinth, to be eaten by The Minotaur. After his death, Minos became a judge of the dead in Hades. The Minoan civilization of Crete...
. Her father, who had received an oracle
Oracle
In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination....
that he should lose his life by one of his children, gave her and her sister, Clymene
Clymene
Clymene or Klymenê may refer to*104 Klymene, an asteroid*Clymene dolphin , a dolphin endemic to the Atlantic Ocean*Clymene Moth*In Greek mythology:...
, to Nauplius
Nauplius
Nauplia, Nauplius or Nauplios , may refer to :Greece-related* Nauplius , the son of Poseidon and Amymone in Greek mythology* Nauplia, a harbor town in Greece...
, who was to sell them in a foreign land. Another sister, Apemosyne
Apemosyne
In Greek mythology, Apemosyne was a daughter of Catreus and sister of both Althaemenes, Aerope and Clymene. She was known for being fleet of foot. According to legend, an oracle told Catreus that he would be murdered by one of his children; to prevent this from happening, he sent his children away...
, and her brother, Althaemenes
Althaemenes
Althaemenes or Althemenes was in Greek mythology a son of Catreus, the king of Crete. He was also the brother of Apemosyne, Aerope and Clymene. An oracle told Catreus that he would be murdered by one of his children...
, who had heard of the oracle, had left Crete and gone to Rhodes
Rhodes
Rhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
. Aërope was given by Nauplius in marriage to either Atreus
Atreus
In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, his descendants are known as Atreidai or Atreidae....
or Pleisthenes
Pleisthenes
In Greek mythology, Pleisthenes is the name of several different people:- Son of Pelops :Pleisthenes is the name of a son of Pelops, son of Tantalus, and of Hippodamia, rulers of Pisa. Two of his brothers are Atreus, founder of House Atreides, and Thyestes....
, the son of Atreus
Atreus
In Greek mythology, Atreus was a king of Mycenae, the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, and the father of Agamemnon and Menelaus. Collectively, his descendants are known as Atreidai or Atreidae....
, and became the mother of Agamemnon
Agamemnon
In Greek mythology, Agamemnon was the son of King Atreus and Queen Aerope of Mycenae, the brother of Menelaus, the husband of Clytemnestra, and the father of Electra and Orestes. Mythical legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area...
and Menelaus
Menelaus
Menelaus may refer to;*Menelaus, one of the two most known Atrides, a king of Sparta and son of Atreus and Aerope*Menelaus on the Moon, named after Menelaus of Alexandria.*Menelaus , brother of Ptolemy I Soter...
. According to the version where Agamemnon and Menelaus's father was Pleisthenes, after the death of Pleisthenes, Aërope married Atreus, and her two sons, who were educated by Atreus, were generally believed to be his sons.
Aërope, however, was unfaithful to Atreus, being seduced by Thyestes
Thyestes
In Greek mythology, Thyestes was the son of Pelops and Hippodamia, King of Olympia, and father of Pelopia and Aegisthus. Thyestes and his twin brother, Atreus, were exiled by their father for having murdered their half-brother, Chrysippus, in their desire for the throne of Olympia...
. Aërope helped Thyestes to obtain the lamb with golden fleece which belonged to her husband Atreus; possession of the lamb earned Thyestes the kingdom of Mycenae
Mycenae
Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece, located about 90 km south-west of Athens, in the north-eastern Peloponnese. Argos is 11 km to the south; Corinth, 48 km to the north...
.
Lover of Ares
The other Aërope was a daughter of CepheusCepheus, King of Tegea
In Greek mythology, Cepheus was the son of Aleus and Neaera or Cleobule, and brother of Amphidamas, Lycurgus of Arcadia, Auge and Alcidice. He and his brother Amphidamas are counted among the Argonauts....
of Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Peloponnese. It is situated in the central and eastern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It takes its name from the mythological character Arcas. In Greek mythology, it was the home of the god Pan...
. She was loved by Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
and had by him a son Aëropus, but herself died in labor. By the will of Ares, Aërope's dead body was still able to produce an abundance of breastmilk to feed the newborn Aëropus. From that circumstance, Ares was surnamed Aphneios ("abundant"), and was honored under that surname with a sanctuary on Mount Cresius.