Ctesylla
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Ctesylla was a maiden of Ioulis in Ceos, daughter of Alcidamas.
During the Pythian festival, an Athenian named Hermochares saw Ctesylla dancing in front of the altar of Apollo
and fell in love with her. He threw an apple at her feet on which the text of an oath by Artemis
' name was carved; Ctesylla picked it up and read the text aloud, which automatically obliged her to marry Hermochares. She became upset about that, but when Hermochares came to her father and wooed her, Alcidamas consented and swore by the name of Apollo that he would marry Ctesylla to Hermochares.
As soon as the festival was over, Alcidamas forgot his oath and was planning to give Ctesylla in marriage to another man. Hermochares rushed to the temple of Artemis where Ctesylla was performing the customary sacrifices. In accord with the goddess' will, Ctesylla fell in love with Hermochares at the first sight and ran off with him to Athens, where they got married.
However, in retribution for Alcidamas having broken his oath, Ctesylla died in labour. During the funeral ceremony, a dove flew up from her death-bed, and the body of Ctesylla disappeared. Hermochares consulted an oracle
about that and was advised to found a sanctuary dedicated to Ctesylla. He reported this to the people of Ceos; since then at Ioulis, sacrifices were offered to Aphrodite
Ctesylla, whereas in the other parts of Ceos, Ctesylla was a surname of Artemis.
The story of Ctesylla and Hermochares parallels that of Cydippe
and Acontius
.
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...
, Ctesylla was a maiden of Ioulis in Ceos, daughter of Alcidamas.
During the Pythian festival, an Athenian named Hermochares saw Ctesylla dancing in front of the altar of Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
and fell in love with her. He threw an apple at her feet on which the text of an oath by Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
' name was carved; Ctesylla picked it up and read the text aloud, which automatically obliged her to marry Hermochares. She became upset about that, but when Hermochares came to her father and wooed her, Alcidamas consented and swore by the name of Apollo that he would marry Ctesylla to Hermochares.
As soon as the festival was over, Alcidamas forgot his oath and was planning to give Ctesylla in marriage to another man. Hermochares rushed to the temple of Artemis where Ctesylla was performing the customary sacrifices. In accord with the goddess' will, Ctesylla fell in love with Hermochares at the first sight and ran off with him to Athens, where they got married.
However, in retribution for Alcidamas having broken his oath, Ctesylla died in labour. During the funeral ceremony, a dove flew up from her death-bed, and the body of Ctesylla disappeared. Hermochares consulted 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....
about that and was advised to found a sanctuary dedicated to Ctesylla. He reported this to the people of Ceos; since then at Ioulis, sacrifices were offered to Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
Ctesylla, whereas in the other parts of Ceos, Ctesylla was a surname of Artemis.
The story of Ctesylla and Hermochares parallels that of Cydippe
Cydippe
The name Cydippe is attributed to four individuals in Greek mythology.*Cydippe was the mother of Cleobis and Biton. Cydippe, a priestess of Hera, was on her way to a festival in the goddess' honor. The oxen which were to pull her cart were overdue and her sons, Biton and Cleobis pulled the cart...
and Acontius
Acontius
Acontius , was in Greek mythology a beautiful youth of the island of Ceos, the hero of a love-story told by Callimachus in a poem now lost, which forms the subject of two of Ovid's Heroides . During the festival of Artemis at Delos, Acontius saw Cydippe, a well-born Athenian maiden of whom he was...
.