Canace

File:BnF Français 874 fol. 40r.jpg

Canace contemplating suicide.

In Greek mythology, Canace (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx) was a Thessalian princess, the daughter of King Aeolus of Aeolia and Enarete, daughter of Deimachus. She was sometimes referred to as Aeolis.

Family

Canace was the sister of Athamas, Cretheus, Deioneus, Magnes, Perieres, Salmoneus, Sisyphus, Alcyone, Calyce, Peisidice, Perimede Arne and possibly Tanagra. As the lover of Poseidon, she was the mother of Aloeus, Epopeus, Hopleus, Nireus and Triopas.

Mythology

In ancient Greek mythology, Canace is often described as a lover of Poseidon, and the mother of multiple of his children. However, in another, more famous myth, Canace was not Poseidon's lover, but was instead in a relationship with her brother Macareus.

In this tradition, the pair are the children of a different Aeolus, the lord of the winds (or the Tyrrhenian king), and his wife Amphithea. Canace fell in love with Macareus and the pair shared an incestuous relationship, which resulted in her getting pregnant. Macareus promised to marry Canace but never did. Eventually Canace gave birth privately, accompanied only by her nurse. When Canace instructed the nurse to carry the baby from the room in a basket under the pretense that it was a sacred ritual offering, the nurse had to pass through the throne room where Aeolus sat. Just before she was able to make it out of the room, the baby began to cry, alerting Aeolus. Upon discovering the child, the king was outraged and compelled Canace to commit suicide as punishment, and sent her a sword with which she was to stab herself. Canace then committed suicide and the newborn child was exposed to die.

This story was told by Latin poet Ovid in the Heroides, a selection of eighteen story-poems that pretend to be letters from mythological women to their lovers and ex-lovers, as well as referenced in Book II of his Tristia. The story is also briefly referred to by Hyginus and retold by Pseudo-Plutarch, in whose account Macareus kills himself over the matter as well. It was also the subject of Euripides's lost play Aeolus, on which the extant versions appear to be based.

Canace's story was also put to the stage in the verse tragedy Canace (1588), by Italian playwright Sperone Speroni, as well as being the subject of a tale in Gower's Confessio Amantis. She also gave her name to the heroine of Geoffrey Chaucer's Squire's Tale.

In ancient art

File:BnF Français 874 fol. 47v.jpg

Canace slaying herself with the sword given to her by her father.

1. According to Pliny the Elder (35.99), a certain Aristeides from Thebes painted Canace dying from love to her brother ( ). This image, not preserved, might be dated between 340 and 290 BCE.
2. Macareus' and Canace's story is found on a hydria from Lucania, now in the archeological museum of Bari. It is thought to illustrate some scenes from Euripides' lost tragedy Aeolus.
3. There is also a fresco from Rome, making part of a series of women personnages (the others being Pasiphaë, Phaedra etc.). Canace is depicted with a sword in her hand. The series might be a copy of some Hellenistic painting.

References

• 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. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Callimachus, Hymns translated by Alexander William Mair (1875-1928). London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1921. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
• Callimachus, Works. A.W. Mair. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1921. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Hesiod, 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
• Hyginus, Fabulae 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.
• Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918. Template:ISBN. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
• Pausanias, Graeciae Descriptio. 3 vols. Leipzig, Teubner. 1903. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
• Plutarch, Moralia with an English Translation by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
• Publius Ovidius Naso, The Epistles of Ovid. London. J. Nunn, Great-Queen-Street; R. Priestly, 143, High-Holborn; R. Lea, Greek-Street, Soho; and J. Rodwell, New-Bond-Street. 1813. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.