- Cyrene (mythology)
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In Greek mythology, as recorded in Pindar's 9th Pythian ode, Cyrene (or Kyrene, Greek Κυρήνη) ("sovereign queen") was the daughter of Hypseus, King of the Lapiths. When a lion attacked her father's sheep, Cyrene wrestled with the lion. Apollo, who was present, immediately fell in love with her and kidnapped her. He took her to North Africa and founded the city of Cyrene in her name. The region, Cyrenaica, is also named for her. Together, she and Apollo had two sons: Aristaeus and Idmon.[1]
Cyrene is also mentioned in the second and third hymns of Callimachus as well as in 'The Poet and the Women' (written by Aristophanes) whence Mnesilochus comments that he "can't see a man there at all-only Cyrene" when setting eyes upon the poet Agathon who emerges from his house to greet Euripides and himself dressed in women's clothing.
With Ares, Cyrene (if indeed this is the same Cyrene) was the mother of Diomedes of Thrace.
References
- ^ http://www.mythindex.com/greek-mythology/C/Cyrene.html Greek Myth Index: Cyrene
Categories:- Libya in Greek mythology
- Women in Greek mythology
- Apollo
- Thessalian mythology
- Cyrenean Greeks
- Mortal parents of demigods in Classical mythology
- Greek deity stubs
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