Alcmene
Alcmene | |
---|---|
Princess of Mycenae | |
Member of the Mycenaean Royal House | |
Other names | Electryone |
Abode | Mycenae, later Thebes |
Personal information | |
Born | |
Parents | Electryon and Anaxo/ Lysidice/ Eurydice or Amphiaraus and Eriphyle |
Consort | Amphitryon, Rhadamanthus |
Children | Heracles, Iphicles and Laonome |
In
Mythology
Background
According to the
Hesiod describes Alcmene as the tallest, most beautiful woman with wisdom surpassed by no person born of mortal parents. It is said that her face and dark eyes were as charming as Aphrodite's, and that she honoured her husband like no woman before her.[8]
Exile to Thebes
According to the
Birth of Heracles
Homer
In
Ovid
According to
Pausanias
In Pausanias' recounting, Hera sent witches (as they were called by the Thebans) to hinder Alcmene's delivery of Heracles. The witches were successful in preventing the birth until Historis, daughter of Tiresias, thought of a trick to deceive the witches. Like Galanthis, Historis announced that Alcmene had delivered her child; having been deceived, the witches went away, allowing Alcmene to give birth.[16]
Plautus
In contrast to the depictions of a difficult labor above, an alternative version is presented in Amphitryon, a comedic play by Plautus. Here Alcmene calls upon Jupiter, who performs a miracle allowing her to give birth quickly and without pain. After a crash of thunder and light, the baby arrives without anyone's assistance.[17]
Death
After the death of Amphitryon, Alcmene married Rhadamanthys, son of Zeus, and lived with him in exile at Ocaleae in Boeotia.[18] It is said that after Heracles was apotheosised, Hyllus, having pursued and killed Eurystheus, cut off Eurystheus' head and gave it to Alcmene, who gouged out the eyes with weaving pins.[19] In Metamorphoses, an aging Alcmene recounted the story of the birth of Heracles to Iole.[15]
There are two accounts of Alcmene's death. In the first, according to the Megarians, Alcmene was walking from Argos to Thebes when she died at
Pausanias indicated that an altar to Alcmene had been built in the Cynosarges in Athens, alongside altars to Heracles, Hebe, and Iolaus.[22] Pausanias also said that Alcmene's tomb is located near the Olympieum at Megara.[20]
Notes
- ^ Robert Graves. The Greek Myths (1960)
- ^ Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 16
- ^ Pausanias, 2.25.9
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.5
- ^ Plutarch, Lives Theseus 7.1
- ^ Diodorus Siculus, 4.9.1
- ^ Pausanias, 5.17.8
- ^ Hesiod, Shield of Heracles 1 ff.
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.6
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.7
- ^ Roman, L., & Roman, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman mythology., p. 54, at Google Books
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.8
- ^ Homer, Iliad 19.95 ff.
- ^ a b Ovid, Metamorphoses 9.273 ff.
- ^ Pausanias, 9.11.3
- ^ Plautus, Amphitryon "The Subject"
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.4.11
- ^ Apollodorus, 2.8.1
- ^ a b Pausanias, 1.41.1
- ^ Pausanias, 9.16.7
- ^ Pausanias, 1.19.3
References
- Apollodorus. Apollodorus, The Library, with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921.
- Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History, Oldfather, C. H. (Translator) (1935). Library of History: Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts.: Harvard University Press.
- Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. "Shield of Heracles". Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
- Homer. The Iliad with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, Ph.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, Massachusetts., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1924.
- Ovid. Metamorphoses. Arthur Golding. London. W. Seres. 1567.
- Pausanias. 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, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
- Plutarch. Plutarch's Lives with an English Translation by Bernadotte Perrin. Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.
- Plautus. The Comedies of Plautus. Henry Thomas Riley. London. G. Bell and Sons. 1912.
- Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, London (1873). "Alcmene"