In Greek mythology, Hippolyta, or Hippolyte (/hɪˈpɒlɪtə/; Ancient Greek: Ἱππολύτη Hippolytē), was a daughter of Ares and Otrera, queen of the Amazons, and a sister of Antiope and Melanippe. She wore her father Ares' zoster, the Greek word found in the Iliad and elsewhere meaning "war belt". Some English translations prefer "girdle". Hippolyta figures prominently in the myths of both Heracles and Theseus. The myths about her are so varied it is thought that they may be about different women. The name Hippolyta translates as "she who unleashes the horses", deriving from two Greek roots meaning "horse" and "let loose".
>>>PUT SHARE BUTTONS HERE<<<
👉 Hippolyta in the context of Melanippe
In Greek mythology, the name Melanippe (Ancient Greek: Μελανίππη, romanized: Melaníppē, lit. 'black mare') referred to several different people:
- Melanippe, daughter of the Centaur Chiron. Also known as Hippe or Euippe. She bore a daughter to Aeolus, Melanippe or Arne (see below). She escaped to Mount Pelion so that her father would not find out that she was pregnant, but, being searched for, she prayed to Artemis asking for assistance, and the goddess transformed her into a mare. Other accounts state that the transformation was a punishment for her having scorned Artemis, or for having divulged the secrets of gods. She was later placed among the stars.
- Melanippe, daughter of Aeolus and the precedent Melanippe (or else daughter of Hippotes or of Desmontes).
- Melanippe, a Aetolian princess as the daughter of King Oeneus of Calydon and Althaea, daughter of King Thestius of Pleuron. As one of the Meleagrids, she was turned into a guinea fowl by Artemis after the death of her brother, Meleager.
- Melanippe, an Amazon, sister of Hippolyta, Penthesilea and Antiope, daughter of Ares. Heracles captured her and demanded Hippolyte's girdle in exchange for her freedom. Hippolyte complied and Heracles let her go. Some say that it was Melanippe whom Theseus abducted and married. Yet others relate that she was killed by Telamon.
- Melanippe, wife of Hippotes, son of Mimas, himself son of Aeolus, and the mother of another Aeolus.
- Melanippe, a nymph who married Itonus, son of Amphictyon.
- Melanippe, possible wife of King Chalcodon of Euboea and mother of Elephenor.
- Melanippe, an emendation for "Medippe" (name of one of the sacrificial victims of Minotaur) in Servius' commentaries on Aeneid.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Hippolyta
- 👉 Hippolyta in the context of Melanippe
- Hippolyta in the context of Penthesileia
- Hippolyta in the context of Amazons
- Hippolyta in the context of Otrera
- Hippolyta in the context of Antiope (Amazon)
- Hippolyta in the context of Antiope (Greek myth)
- Hippolyta in the context of Midsummer Night's Dream
Hippolyta in the context of Penthesileia
Penthesilea (Greek: Πενθεσίλεια, romanized: 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 was killed by Achilles or Neoptolemus. The asteroid 271 Penthesilea, discovered in 1887, was named in her honor.
Hippolyta in the context of Amazons
The Amazons (Ancient Greek: Ἀμαζόνες Amazónes, singular Ἀμαζών Amazōn; in Latin Amāzon, -ŏnis) were a people in Greek mythology, portrayed in a number of ancient epic poems and legends, such as the Labours of Heracles, the Argonautica and the Iliad. They were female warriors and hunters, known for their physical agility, strength, archery, riding skills, and the arts of combat. Their society was closed to men and they raised only their daughters, returning their sons to their fathers with whom they would only socialize briefly in order to reproduce.
Courageous and fiercely independent, the Amazons, commanded by their queen, regularly undertook extensive military expeditions into the far corners of the world, from Scythia to Thrace, Asia Minor, and the Aegean Islands, reaching as far as Arabia and Egypt. Besides military raids, the Amazons are also associated with the foundation of temples and the establishment of numerous ancient cities like Ephesos, Cyme, Smyrna, Sinope, Myrina, Magnesia, Pygela, etc.
Hippolyta in the context of Otrera
In Greek mythology, Otrera /oʊˈtrɪərə/ (Ancient Greek: Ὀτρήρη Otrērē) was the founder and first Queen of the Amazons; the consort of Ares and mother of Hippolyta and Penthesilea. She is credited with being the founder of the shrine of Artemis in Ephesus.
Hippolyta in the context of Antiope (Amazon)
In Greek mythology, Antiope (/ænˈtaɪəpi/; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιόπη, derived from αντι anti, "against, compared to, like," and οψ ops, "voice" or "confronting") was an Amazon, daughter of Ares and sister to Melanippe, Hippolyta, Penthesilea and possibly Orithyia, queens of the Amazons. Two sisters, Orithyia and Antiope, co-ruled the Amazons. Antiope may have been the wife of Theseus and mother to his son Hippolytus of Athens, but differing sources claim this was Hippolyta.
Hippolyta in the context of Antiope (Greek myth)
In Greek mythology, Antiope /ænˈtaɪ.əpi/ or Antiopa (Ancient Greek: Ἀντιόπη derived from αντι anti "against, compared to, like" and οψ ops "voice" or means "confronting") may refer to the following
- Antiope, daughter of King Belus of Egypt and possibly, Achiroe, the naiad daughter of the river-god Nilus. She was the sister of Agenor II, Phineus, Aegyptus, Danaus, Cepheus and Ninus. By her uncle, King Agenor I of Tyre, Antiope became the mother of Cadmus and his siblings. In some accounts, this daughter of Belus was called Damno. Otherwise, the spouse of Agenor was variously given as Telephassa, Argiope or Tyro.
- Antiope, daughter of Aeolus, by whom Poseidon begot Boeotus and Hellen (Aeolus). She was also called Arne or Melanippe, in some accounts.
- Antiope, nymph of Pieria and the mother, by Pierus, of the Pierides, nine sisters who challenged the muses and, on their defeat, were turned into birds.
- Antiope, consort of Helios and possible mother of Aeetes and Aloeus.
- Antiope, sister of Hippolyte, kidnapped by Theseus during Heracles' ninth labour.
- Antiope, mother of Amphion by Zeus, associated with the mythology of Thebes, Greece.
- Antiope, also called Antioche, daughter of Pylon and wife of Eurytus.
- Antiope, a Thespian princess as one of the 50 daughters of King Thespius and Megamede or by one of his many wives. When Heracles hunted and ultimately slayed the Cithaeronian lion, Antiope with her other sisters, except for one, all laid with the hero in a night, a week or for 50 days as what their father strongly desired it to be. Antiope bore Heracles a son, Alopius.
- Antiope, wife of Laocoön.
Hippolyta in the context of Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's most popular and widely performed plays.