Nicolaes Knüpfer - Hercules Obtaining the Girdle of Hyppolita - WGA12217

In Classical

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 ...

, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (; grc-gre, Ἱππολύτη ''Hippolytē'') was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and

Melanippe :''The name Melanippe is the feminine counterpart of Melanippus.'' In Greek mythology, Melanippe () referred to several different people: * Melanippe, daughter of the Centaur Chiron. Also known as Hippe or Euippe. She bore a daughter to Aeolus, Me ...

. She wore her father Ares' ''zoster'', the Greek word found in the

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Odys ...

and elsewhere meaning "war belt." Some traditional English translations have preferred the more feminine-sounding "

girdle A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts. Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...

." Hippolyta figures prominently in the myths of both

Heracles Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...

and

Theseus Theseus (, ; grc-gre, Θησεύς ) was the mythical king and founder-hero of Athens. The myths surrounding Theseus his journeys, exploits, and friends have provided material for fiction throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes describ ...

. The myths about her are varied enough that they may therefore be about several different women. The name ''Hippolyta'' comes from Greek roots meaning "horse" and "let loose."

Legends

Ninth Labor of Heracles

In the myth of Heracles, Hippolyta's belt (ζωστὴρ Ἱππολύτης) was the object of his ninth labour. He was sent to retrieve it for

Admete Admete ( grc, Ἀδμήτη means 'the unbroken, unwedded, untamed') or Admeta, was in Greek mythology, a Mycenaean princess. She was the daughter of King Eurystheus and Antimache and sister to Alexander, Iphimedon, Eurybius, Mentor, Perimedes ...

, the daughter of King

Eurystheus In Greek mythology, Eurystheus (; grc-gre, Εὐρυσθεύς, , broad strength, ) was king of Tiryns, one of three Mycenaean strongholds in the Argolid, although other authors including Homer and Euripides cast him as ruler of Argos. Fami ...

.Hyginus, ''Fabulae'', 30 Most versions of the myth indicate that Hippolyta was so impressed with Heracles that she gave him the belt without argument, perhaps while visiting him on his ship. Then, according to

Pseudo-Apollodorus The ''Bibliotheca'' (Ancient Greek: grc, Βιβλιοθήκη, lit=Library, translit=Bibliothēkē, label=none), also known as the ''Bibliotheca'' of Pseudo-Apollodorus, is a compendium of Greek myths and heroic legends, arranged in three book ...

, the goddess Hera, making herself appear as one of the Amazons, spread a rumour among them that Heracles and his crew were abducting their queen, so the Amazons attacked the ship. In the fray that followed, Heracles slew Hippolyta, stripped her of the belt, fought off the attackers, and sailed away.

Adventure of Theseus

In the myth of

, the hero joined Heracles in his expedition, or went on a separate expedition later, and was actually the one who had the encounter with Hippolyta. Some versions say he abducted her, some that Heracles did the abducting but gave her to Theseus as spoils, and others say that she fell in love with Theseus and betrayed the Amazons by willingly leaving with him. In any case, she was taken to Athens where she was wed to Theseus. In some renditions the other Amazons became enraged at the marriage and attacked Athens. This was the Attic War, in which they were defeated by Athenian forces under Theseus or Heracles. In other renditions Theseus later put Hippolyta aside to marry

Phaedra Phaedra may refer to: Mythology * Phaedra (mythology), Cretan princess, daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë, wife of Theseus Arts and entertainment * ''Phaedra'' (Alexandre Cabanel), an 1880 painting Film * ''Phaedra'' (film), a 1962 film by ...

. So Hippolyta rallied her Amazons to attack the wedding ceremony. When the defenders closed the doors on the attackers, either Hippolyta was killed, Theseus directly killed her in the fight, she was accidentally killed by another Amazon,

Molpadia In Greek mythology, Molpadia (Ancient Greek: Μολπαδία means 'divine song') may refer to the two different women: * Molpadia, an Amazon who was said to have fought for both Antiope and Orithyia. She was a participant in the Attic War, ...

, while fighting by Theseus' side, or was accidentally killed by her sister

Penthesilea Penthesilea ( el, Πενθεσίλεια, Penthesíleia) was an Amazonian queen in Greek mythology, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe. She assisted Troy in the Trojan War, during which she w ...

during this battle or in a separate incident. This killer was in turn slain by Theseus or

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

. Some stories paint Theseus in a more favorable light, saying that Hippolyta was dead before he and Phaedra were wed, and this battle did not occur. Further complicating the narratives, a number of ancient writers say the Amazon in question was not Hippolyta at all, but her sister Antiope,

, or

Glauce In Greek mythology, Glauce (; Ancient Greek: Γλαυκή ''Glaukê'' means 'blue-gray' or 'gleaming'), Latin Glauca, refers to different people: *Glauce, an Arcadian nymph, one of the nurses of Zeus. She and the other nurses were represente ...

. Moreover, there are combined versions of the tale in which Heracles abducts and kills Hippolyta while Theseus, assisted by

Sthenelus In Greek mythology, Sthenelus (; Ancient Greek: Σθένελος ''Sthénelos,'' "strong one" or "forcer", derived from "strength, might, force") was a name attributed to several different individuals: * Sthenelus, father of Cycnus and King of Li ...

and

Telamon In Greek mythology, Telamon (; Ancient Greek: Τελαμών, ''Telamōn'' means "broad strap") was the son of King Aeacus of Aegina, and Endeïs, a mountain nymph. The elder brother of Peleus, Telamon sailed alongside Jason as one of his Argo ...

, abducts and marries Antiope. There are also stories that Hippolyta or Antiope later bore Theseus a son, Hippolytus of Athens.Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Posthomerica'', I. 18 ''sqq''., 227 ''sqq''., 538 ''sqq''.

Shakespeare character

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'', Hippolyta is engaged to Theseus, the duke of Athens. In Act I, Scene 1 she and he discuss their fast-approaching wedding, which will take place under the new moon in four days (I.i.2). Theseus declares to Hippolyta that, although he "wooed her with his sword," he will wed her "with pomp, with triumph, and with revelling" and promises to begin a celebration that will continue until the wedding (I.i.19). The characterization of Hippolyta in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (as well as that of Theseus), like many other mytho-historical characters found in Shakespeare's plays, is based on ancient biographical accounts found in

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

's work '' Parallel Lives''. In ''The Life of Theseus'', according to Plutarch, it was Hippolyta who concluded a four month long war between Athens and the Amazons with a peace treaty, resulting in the marriage between Theseus and Hippolyta. The dramatic representation of Hippolyta and Theseus in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'', however, is entirely a product of the playwright's imagination. The character of Hippolyta also appears in ''

The Two Noble Kinsmen ''The Two Noble Kinsmen'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, first published in 1634 and attributed jointly to John Fletcher and William Shakespeare. Its plot derives from " The Knight's Tale" in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales'', which h ...

'', a play co-written by Shakespeare and John Fletcher.

Classical literature sources

Chronological listing of classical literature sources for Hippolyte's belt: * Homer, ''Iliad'' 2. 649 ff (trans. Murray) (Greek epic poetry C8th BC) * Euripides, ''Heracles Mad'', 408 ff (trans. Coleridge) (Greek tragedy C5th BC) * Euripides, ''Ion'', 1143 ff (trans. Way) * Euripides, ''Heracleidae'', 214 ff (trans. Coleridge) * Herodotus, ''Herodotu''s 4. 9-10 (trans. Godley) (Greek history C5th BC) * Herodotus, ''Herodotus'' 4. 82 * Apollonius Rhodius, ''The Argonautica'' 2. 750 ff (trans. Coleridge) (Greek epic poetry C3rd BC) * Apollonius Rhodius, ''The Argonautica'' 2. 777 ff * Apollonius Rhodius, ''The Argonautica'' 2. 966 ff * Lycophron, ''Alexandria'' 1327 ff (trans. Mair) (Greek epic poetry C3rd BC) * Diodorus Siculus, ''Library of History'' 2. 46. 3-4 (trans. Oldfather) (Greek history C1st BC) * Diodorus Siculus, ''Library of History'' 4. 16. 1-4 * Philippus of Thessalonica, ''The Twelve Labors of Hercules'' (''The Greek Classics'' ed. Miller Vol 3 1909 p. 397) (Greek epigram C1st AD) * Seneca, ''Agamemnon'' 848 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st AD) * Seneca, ''Hercules Furen''s 245 ff (trans. Miller) * Seneca, ''Hercules Furens'' 542 ff * Seneca, ''Hercules Oetaeus'' 21 ff (trans. Miller) * Seneca, ''Hercules Oetaeus'' 1183 ff * Seneca, ''Hercules Oetaeus'' 1450 ff * Seneca, ''Hercules Oetaeus'' 1894 ff * Plutarch, ''Theseus'' 26 ff (trans. Perrin) (Greek history C1st to C2nd AD) * Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''The Library'' 2. 5. 9 (trans. Frazer) (Greek mythography C2nd AD) * Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'' 5. 10. 9 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd AD) * Pseudo-Hyginus, ''Fabulae 30'' (trans. Grant) (Roman mythography C2nd AD) * Quintus Smyrnaeus, ''Fall of Tro''y 6. 240 ff (trans. Way) (Greek epic poetry C4th AD) * Nonnus, ''Dionysiaca'' 25. 148 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic poetry C5th AD) * Nonnos, ''Dionysiaca'' 25. 242 ff * Tzetzes, ''Chiliades'' or ''Book of Histories'' 2. 309 ff (trans. Untila et al.) (Grec-Byzantine history C12 AD) * Tzetzes, ''Chiliades'' or ''Book of Histories'' 2. 497 ff

References

External links

* {{Authority control Labours of Hercules Queens of the Amazons Children of Ares Characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream Female Shakespearean characters Theseus Deeds of Hera