Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities ...

, Echemeia ( grc, Ἐχέμεια, Ekhemeia) is a minor character who angered the goddess

Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...

Mythology

Her only tale survives in the works of a Roman mythographer named

Hyginus Gaius Julius Hyginus (; 64 BC – AD 17) was a Latin author, a pupil of the scholar Alexander Polyhistor, and a freedman of Caesar Augustus. He was elected superintendent of the Palatine library by Augustus according to Suetonius' ''De Grammati ...

. According to him, Echemeia was a Coan

nymph A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...

who ceased to honour

, so the goddess shot her in punishment. The queen of the dead

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...

, who witnessed that, snatched Echemeia alive and brought her to the

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...

. Echemeia's husband

Merops MEROPS is an online database for peptidases (also known as proteases, proteinases and proteolytic enzymes) and their inhibitors. The classification scheme for peptidases was published by Rawlings & Barrett in 1993, and that for protein inhibit ...

mourned her loss so much Hera took pity in him and changed him into an eagle, and then transferred him to the stars as the constellation Aquila.

Smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

, s.v
Merops 1
/ref> There is no more to this story, but it is possible that Echemeia had originally been part of the retinue of Artemis and broke her vows when her married Merops, hence her punishment; her story bears resemblance to those of

Taygete In Classical Greek mythology, Taygete el, Ταϋγέτη, , ) was a nymph, one of the Pleiades according to the '' Bibliotheca'' (3.10.1) and a companion of Artemis, in her archaic role as '' potnia theron'', "Mistress of the animals", with its ...

and Maera, wife of

Tegeates In Greek mythology, Tegeates (Ancient Greek: Τεγεάτης) was an Arcadian prince as son of King Lycaon, and the reputed eponymous founder and of Tegea. Family Tegeates was married to Maera, daughter of Atlas, by whom he had five sons: ...

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * Hyginus, Gaius Julius, ''Astronomica from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies
Online version at the Topos Text Project.
* Smith, William, ''A

Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology The ''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology'' (1849, originally published 1844 under a slightly different title) is an encyclopedia/biographical dictionary. Edited by William Smith, the dictionary spans three volumes and 3,700 ...

'', London, John Murray: printed by Spottiswoode and Co., New-Street Square and Parliament Street, 1873.

External links

ECHEMEIA on The Theoi Project
{{Authority control Katabasis Nymphs Deeds of Artemis Persephone Aegean Sea in mythology

Mythology

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links