Physcoa
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, Physcoa (Φυσκόα) was a woman from the deme
Orthia of Elis
. She was credited with a variety of notable deeds, which are recorded in Pausanias' Description of Greece.
Physcoa was believed to have belonged to the very first, legendary set of the so-called Sixteen Women
. One of the accounts cited by Pausanias relates that the Eleans suffered much harm from Damophon, tyrant
of Pisa, and that after his death people of both Pisa and Elis chose to no longer associate with his misdeeds and to establish mutual peace. For that purpose, each of the sixteen cities of Elis sent a female envoy, "this woman to be the oldest, the most noble, and the most esteemed of all the women"; one of the delegates was Physcoa. The Sixteen Women performed the establishment of peace, and were subsequently entrusted with management of the Heraean Games, particularly with ritual weaving of the robe for Hera
. Another of Pausanias' sources informs that it was Hippodamia
who introduced the Heraean Games so as to express gratitude to Hera for arranging her marriage to Pelops
, and assembled the Sixteen Women as co-founders of the tradition. There were two choral dances of which the Sixteen Women were in charge, one of them being named after Physcoa, and the other one after Hippodamia.
Physcoa was said to have consorted with Dionysus
and to have had by him a son Narcaeus. When Narcaeus grew up, it is related, he conquered many neighboring peoples and gained a lot of power; he was also credited with founding the sanctuary of Athena
Narcaea. Narcaeus and Physcoa were also reported to be the first people to pay homage to Dionysus as a god.
Pausanias mentions that various honors were paid to Physcoa, and these included making her the eponym
of the ritual dance.
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...
, Physcoa (Φυσκόα) was a woman from the deme
Deme
In Ancient Greece, a deme or demos was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. Demes as simple subdivisions of land in the countryside seem to have existed in the 6th century BC and earlier, but did not acquire particular significance until the reforms of Cleisthenes in...
Orthia of Elis
Elis
Elis, or Eleia is an ancient district that corresponds with the modern Elis peripheral unit...
. She was credited with a variety of notable deeds, which are recorded in Pausanias' Description of Greece.
Physcoa was believed to have belonged to the very first, legendary set of the so-called Sixteen Women
Sixteen Women
Pausanias, in his Description of Greece , refers to "the Sixteen Women." It's unclear how "the Sixteen Women" became a group. Several interpretations exist, including that they were selected as negotiators from 16 cities, for the purpose of making peace between Elis and Pisa....
. One of the accounts cited by Pausanias relates that the Eleans suffered much harm from Damophon, tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
of Pisa, and that after his death people of both Pisa and Elis chose to no longer associate with his misdeeds and to establish mutual peace. For that purpose, each of the sixteen cities of Elis sent a female envoy, "this woman to be the oldest, the most noble, and the most esteemed of all the women"; one of the delegates was Physcoa. The Sixteen Women performed the establishment of peace, and were subsequently entrusted with management of the Heraean Games, particularly with ritual weaving of the robe for Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
. Another of Pausanias' sources informs that it was Hippodamia
Hippodamia
Hippodamia was a daughter of King Oenomaus and wife of Pelops with whom her offspring were Thyestes, Atreus, Pittheus, Alcathous, Troezen, Hippalcimus, Copreus, Astydameia, Nicippe, Eurydice and others....
who introduced the Heraean Games so as to express gratitude to Hera for arranging her marriage to Pelops
Pelops
In Greek mythology, Pelops , was king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus. He was the founder of the House of Atreus through his son of that name....
, and assembled the Sixteen Women as co-founders of the tradition. There were two choral dances of which the Sixteen Women were in charge, one of them being named after Physcoa, and the other one after Hippodamia.
Physcoa was said to have consorted with Dionysus
Dionysus
Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete...
and to have had by him a son Narcaeus. When Narcaeus grew up, it is related, he conquered many neighboring peoples and gained a lot of power; he was also credited with founding the sanctuary of Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
Narcaea. Narcaeus and Physcoa were also reported to be the first people to pay homage to Dionysus as a god.
Pausanias mentions that various honors were paid to Physcoa, and these included making her the eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
of the ritual dance.