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Cydippe (Rhodes)

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In Greek mythology, Cydippe (Ancient Greek: Κυδίππη, romanizedKudíppē) also called Cyrbia (Ancient Greek: Κυρβία, romanizedKurbía) is a Rhodian princess, daughter of king Ochimus and the nymph Hegetoria. Cydippe eventually married her uncle Cercaphus and became queen of Rhodes, an island in the southeast Aegean Sea. She and Cercaphus had three sons together, Cameirus, Ialysus, and Lindus, founders of ancient Rhodian cities.

Family

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Cydippe was the daughter the nymph Hegetoria and Ochimus, king of Rhodes and one of the legendary Heliadae (the seven sons of the sun-god Helios by the sea nymph Rhodos).[1][2] In some authors she was also called Lysippe.[3][4]

Mythology

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The princess Cydippe was engaged by her father to Ocridion and was about to marry him. But secretly from the rest, her paternal uncle Cercaphus had falled in love with her and deviced a plan.[5] When time arrived for the wedding, the herald came to fetch Cydippe, but instead of delivering her to her rightful husband-to-be Ocridion, he took her to Cercaphus as agreed; this was the reason why heralds where not allowed into the shrine of Ocridion afterwards.[5][6] Cercaphus then fled with his new bride Cydippe, and only returned home when Ochimus had grown old.[5] When he eventually died, Cercaphus inherited his brother's throne.[1]

Cydippe, who changed her name to Cyrbia, bore her uncle three sons; Cameirus, Ialysus, and Lindus,[7] each of which founded a Rhodian city they named after themselves (Camirus, Ialysus and Lindos respectively).[1][8]

Background

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In antiquity Achaia, the primeval Rhodian city that was founded by Cercaphus and Ochimus, was also called Kyrba or Kyrbe. The Kyrb- root also appears in Crete.[9] According to Diodorus Siculus, a great deluge struck Rhodes, and thus Cyrbe was buried beneath the flood and laid waste.[1]

It is known that Cydippe was the subject of one of the paintings of renowned ancient Carian-born Rhodian artist Protogenes.[10][11]

See also

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Other kidnapped people in Greek mythology:

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca Historica 5.57.7-8
  2. ^ Bell 1991, s.v. Cydippe (3).
  3. ^ Heinze, Theodor (October 1, 2006). "Cydippe". In Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth (eds.). Brill's New Pauly. Translated by Christine F. Salazar. Geneva: Brill Reference Online. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e625650. ISSN 1574-9347. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  4. ^ Avery 1962, s.v. Ochimus.
  5. ^ a b c Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae 27
  6. ^ Grimal 1987, pp. 178–9.
  7. ^ Scholia on Pindar's Odes 7.34e, 7.35x
  8. ^ Strabo, Geographica 14.2.8
  9. ^ Fowler 2000, p. 52.
  10. ^ Pliny, Natural History 35.36
  11. ^ Torr 1885, p. 105.

Bibliography

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