Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

, Stratonice (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

: Στρατoνίκη from "army" and "victory") was a Calydonian princess as the daughter of King

Porthaon In Greek mythology, Porthaon (Ancient Greek: Πορθάων, genitive Πορθάονος), sometimes referred to as Parthaon or Portheus (seems related to the verb ''portheō'' and ''perthō'', "destroy'), was a king of Calydon and son of Agenor o ...

and

Laothoe In Greek mythology, Laothoe (Ancient Greek: Λαοθόη) can refer to the following women: *Laothoe, consort of King Porthaon of Calydon and mother of Sterope, Stratonice and Eurythemiste. *Laothoe or Antianeira, daughter of Menetus (Meretus), ...

. She was the sister of

Eurythemiste In Greek mythology, the name Eurythemista or Eurythemiste (Ancient Greek: Εὐρυθεμίστη) may refer to: *Eurythemista, a Calydonian princess as the daughter of King Porthaon and Laothoe. She was the sister of Sterope and Stratonice, ...

and

Sterope Sterope (; Ancient Greek: Στερόπη, , from , ''steropē'', lightning) was the name of several individuals in Greek mythology: * Sterope (or Asterope), one of the Pleiades and the wife of Oenomaus (or his mother by Ares). * Sterope, a Pleu ...

Mythology

When Stratonice and her sisters grew up, they left their parents to live in the mountains. According to

Hesiod Hesiod (; grc-gre, Ἡσίοδος ''Hēsíodos'') was an ancient Greek poet generally thought to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded by western authors as 'the first written poet i ...

, they were "like goddesses, skilled in very beautiful works" and the companions of "the beautiful haired

nymphs 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 typ ...

and of the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the p ...

on the wooded mountains". When Apollo intended to make Stratonice the bride of his son

Melaneus In Greek mythology, Melaneus (; Ancient Greek: Μελανεύς) was the founder of Oechalia (Oikhalia), variously located in Thessaly, Messenia or Euboea and also king of the Dryopes.Antoninus Liberalis4as cited in Nicander's ''Metamorphoses'' ...

, the princess accompanied the god to marry his son. Since Stratonice was her own ''kuria'' (authority), Apollo carried her away without giving her father any bridal gifts (''hedna'') and brought her to Oechalia.Morris Silver, ''Slave-Wives, Single Women and “Bastards” in the Ancient Greek World: Law and Economic Perspectives'' After marrying Melaneus she became the queen of Oechalia and gave birth to their dear son, the famous archer

Eurytus Eurytus, Eurytos (; Ancient Greek: Εὔρυτος) or Erytus (Ἔρυτος) is the name of several characters in Greek mythology, and of at least one historical figure. Mythological *Eurytus, one of the Giants, sons of Gaia, killed by Dionysus ...

. Scholaist on

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

, ''

Trachiniae ''Women of Trachis'' or ''The Trachiniae'' ( grc, Τραχίνιαι, ) c. 450–425 BC, is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles. ''Women of Trachis'' is generally considered to be less developed than Sophocles' other works, and its dating has been ...

'' 268

Notes

Princesses in Greek mythology

Reference

, ''Catalogue of Women'' from ''Homeric Hymns, Epic Cycle, Homerica'' translated by Evelyn-White, H G. Loeb Classical Library Volume 57. London: William Heinemann, 1914
Online version at theio.com
{{Greek-myth-stub Queens in Greek mythology Aetolian characters in Greek mythology