View source for Themisto

{{Short description|Mythical daughter of Hypseus}}
{{Other uses|Themisto (moon)|Themisto (mythology)}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''Themisto''' ({{IPAc-en|θ|ə|ˈ|m|ɪ|s|t|oʊ}}; [[Ancient Greek]]: Θεμιστώ) was a [[Ancient Thessaly|Thessalian]] princess as the daughter of King [[Hypseus]] of [[Lapiths]]<ref name=":1">[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 1.9.2</ref> and the [[naiad]] [[Chlidanope]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Graves|first=Robert|title=The Greek Myths - The Complete and Definitive Edition|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|year=2017|isbn=9780241983386|pages=276}}</ref> Her name is derived from the [[Ancient Greek]] word: "θεμιστος" which means "belonging to the law", or "belonging to the customs".<ref>{{Cite web|title=User-submitted name Themisto - Behind the Name|url=https://www.behindthename.com/name/themisto/submitted|access-date=2021-01-10|website=www.behindthename.com}}</ref>

== Family ==
Themisto's sisters were [[Cyrene (mythology)|Cyrene]],<ref>[[Callimachus]], ''Hymn 2 to [[Apollo]]'' 85 ff; [[Diodorus Siculus]], 4.81.1; [[Nonnus]], ''[[Dionysiaca]]'' 29.180</ref> [[Alcaea]]<ref name=":0">[[Scholia]] on [[Pindar]], ''Pythian Ode'' 9.31</ref> and [[Astyaguia|Astyagyia]].<ref>Diodorus Siculus, 4.69.3</ref> She was the third and last wife of [[Athamas]], a [[Boeotia]]n king. According to some sources, the couple had four children: [[Leucon]], [[Erythrius]], [[Schoeneus]], and [[Ptous]].<ref>Apollodorus, 1.9.2; [[Tzetzes]] on [[Lycophron]], 22</ref><ref>Scholia on [[Apollonius Rhodius|Apollonius]], ''[[Argonautica]]'' 2.1144: it appears that the scholiast believed her to be mother of [[Phrixus]] and [[Helle (mythology)|Helle]] as well.</ref> In other sources, there were but two: [[Sphincius]] and [[Orchomenus (mythology)|Orchomenus]],<ref>[[Gaius Julius Hyginus|Hyginus]], ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#1 1]</ref> or else Schoeneus and Leucon.<ref>Nonnus, ''Dionysiaca'' 9.314</ref> Some say that the father of Leucon was [[Poseidon]] (see also [[Leuconoe]]).<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#157 157]</ref>

== Mythology ==
Themisto intended to kill her husband's children by his previous wife, but accidentally slew her own sons. This was the subject of a non-surviving tragedy by [[Euripides]], retold by Hyginus as follows. Athamas married Themisto as he believed his second wife, [[Ino (Greek mythology)|Ino]], was dead, but Ino turned out to be alive and to have been on Mount [[Parnassus]] with the [[Maenads]]. Athamas had her brought home but kept her return a secret; Themisto did find out she was back, and resolved to kill Ino's children as an act of revenge. However, she had never seen Ino in person and took her for a servant as they met, and ordered the "servant" to dress all her own children in white clothing, and Ino's in black. Themisto then proceeded to kill all the black-clothed children. What Themisto did not realise was that Ino had switched the children's clothing, and so she in fact killed her own children. Upon discovering that, she killed herself.<ref>Hyginus, ''Fabulae'' [https://topostext.org/work/206#4 4] & [https://topostext.org/work/206#243 243]; a shorter version in Fab. 1, where the clothing swap is attributed to a nurse's mistake and Ino isn't involved.</ref> According to [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Pseudo-Apollodorus]], however, Themisto married Athamas after the death of Ino, and the whole story with the murder of the children did not take place.<ref name=":1" />

==Notes==
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== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
*[[Callimachus]], ''Callimachus and Lycophron with an English translation by A. W. Mair; Aratus, with an English translation by G. R. Mair'', London: W. Heinemann, New York: G. P. Putnam 1921. Internet Archive
*Callimachus, ''Works''. A.W. Mair. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1921. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0481 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Diodorus Siculus]], ''The Library of History'' translated by [[Charles Henry Oldfather]]. Twelve volumes. [[Loeb Classical Library]]. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press; London: William Heinemann, Ltd. 1989. Vol. 3. Books 4.59–8. [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Diodorus_Siculus/home.html Online version at Bill Thayer's Web Site]
*Diodorus Siculus, ''Bibliotheca Historica. Vol 1-2''. Immanel Bekker. Ludwig Dindorf. Friedrich Vogel. in aedibus B. G. Teubneri. Leipzig. 1888-1890. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0540 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Gaius Julius Hyginus]], ''Fabulae from The Myths of Hyginus'' translated and edited by Mary Grant. University of Kansas Publications in Humanistic Studies. [https://topostext.org/work/206 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Robert Graves|Graves, Robert]], ''The Greek Myths: The Complete and Definitive Edition.'' Penguin Books Limited. 2017. {{ISBN|978-0-241-98338-6|024198338X}}
*[[Nonnus|Nonnus of Panopolis]], ''Dionysiaca'' translated by William Henry Denham Rouse (1863-1950), from the Loeb Classical Library, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press, 1940.  [https://topostext.org/work/529 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* Nonnus of Panopolis, ''Dionysiaca. 3 Vols.'' W.H.D. Rouse. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1940-1942. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0485 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

[[Category:Boeotian mythology]]
[[Category:Family of Athamas]]
[[Category:Filicide in mythology]]
[[Category:Lapiths]]
[[Category:Princesses in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Suicides in Greek mythology]]

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