Deidamia (daughter of Lycomedes)
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In Greek mythology, Deidamia (Template:IPAc-en; Ancient Greek: Δηϊδάμεια Deïdameia) is a daughter of King Lycomedes, who lives on the island of Scyros. She marries Achilles, by whom she becomes the mother of Neoptolemus. Following the Trojan War, her son gives her in marriage to Helenus, a Trojan captive. She is sometimes said to have a second son, Oneiros, or to have only been Neoptolemus's nurturer (rather than his mother).
Mythology
Deidamia was one of King Lycomedes' seven daughters with whom Achilles was concealed.<ref>Statius, Achilleid 296</ref> Some versions of this story state that Achilles was hidden in Lycomedes' court as one of the king's daughters, some say as a lady-in-waiting under the name "Pyrrha".<ref>Hyginus, Fabulae 96</ref><ref>Bion of Smyrna, Poems 2</ref> The two soon became romantically involved to the point of intimacy.<ref>Statius, Achilleid 640</ref> After Odysseus arrived at Lycomedes's palace and exposed Achilles as a young man, the hero decided to join the Trojan War, along with his therápon Patroclus, leaving behind his wife Deidamia.<ref>Apollodorus, 3.13.8.</ref><ref>Epic Cycle Fragments, The Cypria fr. 1 as cited in Eutychius Proclus, Chrestomathia 1.</ref>
Years later, Deidamia tried to persuade their son, Neoptolemus, not to join his father in the same war. After the death of Achilles, his father, Neoptolemus went to the Trojan War as the next Aristos Achaion "Best of the Achaeans (Greeks)". After the war, Deidamia was given in marriage by Neoptolemus to his slave Helenus, the son of Priam who he had brought to Epirus.<ref>Apollodorus, E.6.13.</ref> Later on, Neoptolemus was eventually killed by Orestes when the son of Agamemnon went mad.<ref>Apollodorus, E.5.11.</ref>
In a different version of Neoptolemus's childhood, Iphigenia rather than Deidamia is his mother, though the latter does raise him.<ref>RE, s.v. Deidameia (1).</ref> According to the Alexandrine grammarian Ptolemy Hephaestion, Achilles and Deidamia had another son, Oneiros. This son was killed by Orestes (who was unable to recognize him) in Phocis while the two were fighting over a place to pitch a tent.<ref>Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History 3, cited by Photius, Bibliotheca 190.</ref>
The tragedians Euripides and Sophocles, both of whom date to the 5th century BC, each composed a work titled Skyroi, in which Deidamia was an important figure.<ref>Bloch, para. 1.</ref> In a poem in the Greek Anthology, she was instead referred to as Pyrrha.<ref>RE, s.v. Deidameia (1).</ref>
Notes
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. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
- Bion of Phlossa, The Greek Bucolic Poets translated by Edmonds, J M. Loeb Classical Library Volume 28. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1912. Online version available at the Theoi.
- Bloch, Rene, "Deidamia (1)", in Brill's New Pauly: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Antiquity, Volume 4, Cyr – Epy, edited by Hubert Cancik and Helmuth Schneider, Brill, 2004. Template:ISBN.
- Dictys Cretensis, from The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian translated by Richard McIlwaine Frazer, Jr. (1931-). Indiana University Press. 1966. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
- Euripides, Andromache with an English translation by David Kovacs. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. 1994. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library. Greek text available from the same website.
- 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.
- Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy translated by Way. A. S. Loeb Classical Library Volume 19. London: William Heinemann, 1913. Online version at theio.com
- Quintus Smyrnaeus, The Fall of Troy. Arthur S. Way. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1913. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.
- Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft, Band IV, Halbband 2, Stuttgart, J. B. Metzler, 1901. Wikisource.
- Statius, The Achilleid translated by Mozley, J H. Loeb Classical Library Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1928. Online version at the theoi.com
- Statius, The Achilleid. Vol. II. John Henry Mozley. London: William Heinemann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 1928. Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library.