Leucippids
As the Leukippiden ( ancient Greek Λευκιππίδες Leukippides ) are the daughters of Leucippus of Messenia from Greek mythology . Their names were Hilaeira and Phoibe, on a hydria of the Meidias painter the latter is called Eriphyle. They are best known for their kidnapping by the Dioscuri .
There are several variants of the story. According to one variant, they are robbed by the Dioscurs after they were already engaged to their cousins, the sons of Aphareus at this point . Thereupon it comes to the battle between the Apharetiden and the Dioskuren. The myth was particularly important in Sparta . In a staged form, it was part of the initiation rite of Spartan girls before their wedding. This is also shown in several pictures of red-figure vase painting from the 5th and 4th centuries BC. The Leucippids had their own temple in Sparta. The associated priestesses also called themselves Leukippids or poloi ( foals ). They were associated with the cult of Dionysus Kolonatas. A priest of the Leucippids and the Tyndarids is attested from the 2nd century . The origins of the cult are obscure; it may have been a Spartan innovation or heir to an older cult.
literature
- Ernst Kuhnert : Leukippids . In: Wilhelm Heinrich Roscher (Hrsg.): Detailed lexicon of Greek and Roman mythology . Volume 2.2, Leipzig 1897, Sp. 1988-1996 ( digitized version ).