Telephassa

Telephassa (/ˌtɛlɪˈfæsə/; Ancient Greek: Τηλέφασσα, Tēléphassa, "far-shining"), also spelled Telephaassa (/ˌtɛlɪfiˈæsə/; Τηλεφάασσα) and Telephe^[1] (/ˈtɛlɪfiː/; Τηλέφη), is a lunar epithet in Greek mythology that is sometimes substituted for Argiope the wife of Agenor, according to his name a "leader of men"^[2] in Phoenicia, and mother of Cadmus.^[3][4]

Family

In one account, Telephassa was a descendant of Libya herself.^[5] In a version of the myth, Telephe was called the daughter of Epimedusa who was otherwise unknown.^[6]

Telephassa had several children, including Europa,^[7] Cilix, Cadmus, Thasus,^[8] and Phoenix.^[9] Thasus is sometimes said to be her grandchild by Cilix.^[10] Her husband was Agenor or perhaps Phoenix^[7] in a version in which Cadmus and Europa and their brothers are children of Phoenix. In the latter's version, Peirus, Phoenice and Astypale were included as Phoenix's offsprings.^[6]

Mythology

Telephassa gave to her daughter, Europa, the basket of gold which was made by Hephaestus. This gift was originally bestowed by Poseidon to Libya who in turn gave this to Telephassa by the account of their blood relation.^[5]

"Now Europa’s basket was of gold, an admirable thing, a great marvel and a great work of Hephaestus, given of him unto Libya the day the Earth-Shaker took her to his bed, and given of Libya unto the fair beauteous Telephassa because she was one of her own blood; and so the virgin Europa came to possess the renownèd gift, being Telephassa was her mother."^[5]

Zeus saw Europa gathering flowers, transformed himself into a white bull, and carried her away to the island of Crete. He then revealed his true identity and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Telephassa accompanied her son Cadmus on a quest to find Europa. The mother and son traveled to the islands of Rhodes and Thera before arriving in Thrace, where Telephassa fell ill and died. "On Samothrace... the mother was called Elektra or Elektryone", Karl Kerenyi notes.^[11] After burying his mother, Cadmus was told of the oracle of Delphi by the Thracians. Upon consulting the oracle, he was advised to travel until encountering a cow. He was to follow this cow and to found a city where the cow would lie down; this city became Thebes. Cilix, Europa's other brother, also searched for her and settled down in southern Asia Minor. The land was called Cilicia after him.

Argive family tree

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. Scholiast on Euripides, Ion 5
2. Kerenyi, The Heroes of the Greeks 1959:27.
3. "She bore the lunar name Telephassa or Telephae, 'she who illuminates afar', or Argiope 'she of the white face'", Karl Kerenyi notes in The Heroes of the Greeks 1959:27.
4. Other mythic figures were also named Argiope.
5. Moschus, Europa 2.37-43
6. Scholia on Euripides, Phoenician Women 5
7. Moschus, Europa 2.42
8. Kerenyi 1959:27f.
9. Apollodorus, 3.1.1
10. Apollodorus, 3.1.1 with Pherecydes as the authority
11. Kerenyi 1959:27.

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.
• Kerényi, Carl, The Heroes of the Greeks, Thames and Hudson, London, 1959.
• Moschus, Europa from The Greek Bucolic Poets edited by J. M. (John Maxwell) Edmonds. William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam's Sons. London; New York. 1919. Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library.