Eurydice (daughter of Lacedaemon)

For other uses, see Eurydice (Greek myth).

In Greek mythology, Eurydice (/jʊəˈrɪdɪsi/; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη , Eurydikē "wide justice", derived from ευρυς eurys "wide" and δικη dike "justice") was a Spartan princess who later on became the queen of Argos.

Mythology

Eurydice was the daughter of King Lacedaemon and Queen Sparta, the legendary founders of Sparta and thus sister to Amyclas.^[1]

Later on, Eurydice married King Acrisius of Argos and became the mother of Danaë who begot the celebrated hero Perseus. Her other daughter was possibly Evarete, wife of Oenomaus, king of Pisa in Elis.^[2] In some accounts, the wife of Acrisius was called Aganippe.^[3]

Argive genealogy

Argive genealogy in Greek mythology

v t e

Inachus Melia Zeus Io Phoroneus Epaphus Memphis Libya Poseidon Belus Achiroë Agenor Telephassa Danaus Elephantis Aegyptus Cadmus Cilix Europa Phoenix Mantineus Hypermnestra Lynceus Harmonia Zeus Polydorus Sparta Lacedaemon Ocalea Abas Agave Sarpedon Rhadamanthus Autonoë Eurydice Acrisius Ino Minos Zeus Danaë Semele Zeus Perseus Dionysus

Colour key:   Male   Female   Deity

Notes

1. Apollodorus, 2.2.2
2. Hyginus, Fabulae 84
3. Hyginus, Fabulae 63; Scholiast ad Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 4.1091

References

• Gaius Julius 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.
• Grimal, Pierre, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, Wiley-Blackwell, 1996, ISBN 978-0-631-20102-1. "Eurydice" (2), p. 157.
• Pseudo-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.