Astydameia

In Greek mythology, Astydamea or Astydamia (/əˌstɪdəˈmiːə/; Ancient Greek: Ἀστυδάμεια Astudámeia, derived from ἄστυ ástu, "town", and δαμάω damáo, "to tame") is a name attributed to several individuals:

• Astydamea, daughter of Cretheus (also known as Hippolyta),[1][2][3] was the Queen of Iolcus and wife of Acastus. Her husband purified Peleus of the murder of King Eurytion of Phthia. Astydameia fell in love with Peleus but he scorned her. Bitter, she sent a messenger to Antigone, Peleus' wife, to tell her that Peleus was to marry Acastus' daughter, Sterope; Antigone hanged herself. Astydameia then told Acastus that Peleus had tried to rape her. Acastus believed the false accusations and tried to take revenge in Peleus by taking him on a hunting trip and leaving him unprotected as a group of Centaurs attacked. Peleus escaped death with the help of Chiron and Hermes; he pillaged Iolcus and dismembered Astydameia, then marched his army between the rended limbs.[4]
• Astydamea, daughter of Pelops and Hippodamia. She married Alcaeus and had children by him: Amphitryon, Anaxo, and Perimede.[5] In other accounts, the wife of Alcaeus was named Hipponome, daughter of Menoeceus or Laonome, daughter of Guneus.[6]
• Astydamea, daughter of Phorbas and mother of Lepreus by Caucon, son of Poseidon. She persuaded Heracles to reconcile with her son, who had previously advised Augeas to cast Heracles in bonds.[7]
• Astydamea, mother of Ctesippus by Heracles. In one source, she is the daughter of Amyntor.[8] Another account makes her the daughter of Ormenus, king of Ormenion.[9] Heracles, the same source relates, wooed her, but Ormenius would not marry her to him since Heracles was already married to Deianira. Heracles then led a war against Ormenius, killed him and took Astydameia by force.[10] Astydameia (or Astygeneia) is also an alternate name for Astyoche, daughter of Phylas, who bore Heracles a son Tlepolemus.[11]
• Astydamea, was briefly mentioned by a scholiast on Euripides as the daughter of Strophius and Cydragora and sister of Pylades.[12]

Notes

1. Pindar, Nemean Ode 4.54 (88) with scholia
2. Scholia on Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica, 1. 224
3. Scholia on Aristophanes, Clouds, 1063
4. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3.13.1-3 & 7
5. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.4.5
6. Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio 8.14.2
7. Aelian, Varia Historia 1.24
8. Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.7.8
9. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 4.37.
10. Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 4.37.4
11. Pindar, Olympian Ode 7.24, with the scholia, in which Pherecydes (fr. 80 Fowler) is cited for the alternative name "Astygeneia".
12. Scholia on Euripides, Orestes, 33

References

• Claudius Aelianus, Varia Historia translated by Thomas Stanley (d.1700) edition of 1665. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Claudius Aelianus, Claudii Aeliani de natura animalium libri xvii, varia historia, epistolae, fragmenta, Vol 2. Rudolf Hercher. In Aedibus B.G. Teubneri. Lipsiae. 1866. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History translated by Charles Henry Oldfather. Twelve volumes. Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site
• Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888–1890. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Fowler, R. L. (2000), Early Greek Mythography: Volume 1: Text and Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0198147404.
• 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, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pindar, Odes translated by Diane Arnson Svarlien. 1990. Nemean Odes: Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Olympian Odes: Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pindar, The Odes of Pindar including the Principal Fragments with an Introduction and an English Translation by Sir John Sandys, Litt.D., FBA. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1937. Nemean Odes: Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library. Olympian Odes: Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Pseudo-Apollodorus, The Library with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.