Marpessa

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Idas and Marpessa separated by Zeus from Apollo , Attic red-figure psykter , around 480 BC BC, State Collections of Antiquities (Inv. 2417)

Marpessa ( Greek  Μάρπησσα ) is the only child of the river god Euenos in Greek mythology . Her name is related to the Greek word μάρπτειν (márptein, “to rob, to ruff”) and refers to the myth about her kidnapping.

myth

Apollon and Idas both ask for the hand of Princess Marpessa. Idas robs her and is then pursued by her father Euenos. However, depending on ancient tradition, he escapes him either thanks to a winged chariot or thanks to particularly fast horses, which his father Poseidon had made available to him (in other sources, Idas is considered to be the son of Aphareus ). Thereupon Euenos drowns himself out of desperation in the river that bears his name ever since. Now, however, Marpessa the Idas is stolen by Apollo, so that a fight between the two men occurs. Idas succeeds in taking his bow from the god. Zeus then acts as a mediator and decides to give Marpessa a free hand as to who should be her husband. She finally chooses the mortal Idas, fearing that she will be abandoned by Apollo when she is old.

The only child from the relationship between Marpessa and Idas is Cleopatra (the Greek) , who is also referred to by the name Alkyone .

literature