Erigone

Erigone1
    In Greek mythology, Erigone  was described as the daughter of  Aegisthus (son of Thyestes and his daughter, Pelopia) and Clytemnestra  (daughter of Leda and Tyndareus) , rulers of Mycenae.

Erigone 

                      According to some versions, Erigone was seduced by her half-brother, Orestes (son of Clytemnestra and Agamemnon) and became the mother of  Penthilus. Erigone would have been slain by Orestes along with her brother Aletes if not for the intervention of goddess Artemis, who rescued her and made her a priestess in Attica.
            In some versions, Erigone  hangs herself after the child was born. According to others, Hermione (daughter of Menelaus, king of Sparta and his wife, Helen of Troy) and Orestes were married, and she gave birth to his heir Tisamenus.  After Hermione died, Erigone was married Orestes and gave birth to Penthilus.
In some version, Erigone  sued Orestes to murder of her parents.
Erigone2
             In Greek mythology,  Erigone  was described as the daughter of Icarius, an Athenian.  Icarius hospitably received Dionysus on his arrival in Athena. The god of wine, Dionysus showed him his gratitude by teaching him the cultivation of the vine (grape plant),  make wine and giving him bags filled with wine. Icarius  gave some wine to several shepherds, who became intoxicated. Their companions, thinking they had been poisoned, killed Icarius and buried him under a tree or threw his body into the well Anygrus.His daughter, Erigone, and her dog, Maera, found his body. Erigone hanged herself over her father's grave. Maera jumped into a well and drowned.

Dionysus, Erigone and Icarius..

Dionysus was angry and punished Athens with a plague, inflicting insanity on all the unmarried women, who all hung themselves like Erigone did. Icarius, Erigone, and Maera were set among the stars as Bootes (or Arcturus), Virgo, and Procyon. The plague did not cease until the Athenians introduced honorific rites for Icarius and Erigone.

Erigone 

                        In some version, Dionysus was attracted towards  Erigone beauty.  Dionysus in the form of bunches of false grapes deceived and seduced Erigone.  
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Althaea

                                                        In Greek mythology, Althaea was described as the daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius and Eurythemis, and sister of Leda, Hypermnestra, Iphiclus, and Euippus. Althaea was married to Oeneus, king of Calydon, by whom she became the mother of Toxeus, Thyreus, Clymenus, and Meleager, and of two daughters, Gorge and Deianeira.

Althaea

                       According to some versions, Althaea was mother of Deianeira by Dionysus, god of wine. When Dionysus had come as a guest to Oeneus, he fell in love with Althaea. When Oeneus realized this, he voluntarily left the city and pretended to be performing sacred rites. Dionysus took the full advantage of Oeneus absence and  had sex with Althaea. To Oeneus, because of his generous hospitality, Dionysus gave the vine (grape plant) as a gift, and showed him how to plant it, and decreed that its fruit should be called ‘oinus’ from the name of his host.

                According to some versions, Althaea had an illicit sexual relationship with Ares, god of war.  Althaea became mother of Meleager by Ares.

Birth of Meleager........

                     When Meleager was born, the Fates appeared in the palace, saying that Meleager would die as soon as the last piece of wood in the hearth was consumed. Upon hearing it, Althaea removed that brand and buried it under the palace. Many years later, Oeneus sacrificed the first fruits of the seasons to all the gods, omitting goddess Artemis by mistake. Enraged by the slight, Artemis sent an unnaturally large boar to ravage the Calydonian lands (see Calydonian Boar..............The hunt). 

Atalanta and Meleager.....Calydonian Boar hunt......

Meleager managed to kill the boar with the help of Atalanta and his mother’s brothers, but gave the skin of the boar as a prize to Atalanta. His uncles were angry and stole it from her, which caused Meleager’s fury and killed them. When Althaea found out, she burned the brand that was kept under the palace, causing her son’s death. After that Althaea  hung herself or killed herself with a dagger.

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Ariadne

In Greek mythology, Ariadne was described as the daughter of Minos, King of Crete, and Pasiphae, daughter of Helios.  

Ariadne......in Naxos island

                                      When Theseus came to Crete as one of the tribute from Athens to Crete. (Theseus was among those who were sent from Athens as the third tribute to the Minotaur,in some versions, he offered himself voluntarily to be a part of this group.) Ariadne fell in love with him and offered him help if he would agree to marry her and take her with him to Athens. 

Theseus and Ariadne....

                          Theseus agreed and Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of silk thread, on the advice of Daedalus (the constructor of the Labyrinth), so he could find his way out of the Labyrinth. After killing Minotaur, Theseus used the thread to escape the Labyrinth. Theseus managed to escaped with all of the young Athenians and Ariadne in ship. In some versions, Ariadne younger sister Phaedra also came with them.

Ariadne abandoned by Theseus...

                                                On the journey back to Athens, Theseus stopped at island of Naxos. Theseus and rest of the crew fell asleep on the beach of Naxos. Goddess Athena woke Theseus and told him to leave early that morning also to leave Ariadne on the beach. Theseus abandoned Ariadne sleeping on Naxos, Ariadne put an end to her own life in despair. In other version, Ariadne was saved by Dionysus, who in amazement at her beauty made her his wife, raised her among the immortals, and placed the crown which he gave her at his marriage with her, among the stars.  

Dionysus and Ariadne...

                                       According to other versions, the god Dionysus came to Theseus and told him not to marry Ariadne. As Dionysus himself wanted to marry Ariadne. So Dionysus told Theseus to leave her on the island of Naxos.  With Dionysus, she was the mother of Oenopion, Staphylus, Thoas, Peparethus, Phanus, Eurymedon, Enyeus, Ceramus, Maron, Euanthes, Latramys and Tauropolis. 

Dionysus and Ariadne....

                                                                                According to some versions, when Dionysus rode into battle against the Argives with his band of sea women, Ariadne was killed or turned to stone by King Perseus. Dionysus descended into underworld and brought Ariadne and his mother Semele back. They then joined the gods in Olympus.

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Beroe

1 :- In Greek mythology, Boroe was an Oceanid Nymph of the city of Beruit in Phoinikia, daughter of  Oceanus and Tethys. According to other version she was described as daughter of Aphrodite and Adonis, and sister of Golgos. At the birth of Beroe, Hermes acted as the midwife and assisted in the delivery of Beroe then the Virgin Astraia (lady of justice) took the infant Beroe and fed her with the wise breast and told her words of law, feeding her honey and washing her with sacred water.

Beroe

 Beroe wore no ornaments or make-up, and she was not vain and never examined herself in the mirror. Beroe was a mortal but often her beauty was compared to that of goddesses. She was wooed by both Dionysus and Poseidon, eventually marrying Poseidon.

2 :- In Greek mythology,Boroe was described as a Trojan woman, married to Doryclus, one of the companions of Aeneas. 

               Iris assumed the appearance of Beroe when she persuaded the women to set fire to the ships of Aeneas on the coast of Sicily.

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Aura

In Greek mythology, Aura was the Titan goddess of the breeze and the fresh, cool air of early morning. Aura was the daughter of Titan Lelantus and Periboia. 

Aura

                 Aura was a virgin huntress, who was excessively proud of her virginity. Aura compared her body to that of the goddess Artemis and claimed that Artemis was too womanly to be a true virgin. Artemis sought out Nemesis (retribution), to create balance between the two. As her punishment Aura was made drunk and raped by Dionysus. This rape drove Aura to madness and she became a very violent and cruel killer of men. When Aura gave birth to her twin sons from Dionysus, the first of whom she swallowed and the second, named Iakkhus was taken away by Artemis. Zeus then transformed Aura into a stream.                                     
                     According to other version, Aura was beloved by Dionysus but fled from him, until Aphrodite at the request of Dionysus, inspired her with love for Dionysus. Aura became by him the mother of twin sons, but at the moment of  their birth, she was seized with madness, tore one of her children to pieces and then threw herself into sea.
    
                                          According to other version, Dionysus fell in love with Aura. He made her drunk and seduce her. She bore him twin sons, the first of whom she devoured in her anger and the second was rescued by Dionysus.

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Nicaea

Nicaea, a Naiad nymph

In Greek mythology, Nicaea or Nikaia was a Naiad nymph of the spring or fountain and daughter of river god Sangarius and Cybele. Nicaea was a devotee of the goddess Artemis. 

Sleeping Nicaea is watched by shepherd Hymnus

                                  When a shepherd Hymnus fell in love with Nicaea. Nicaea grew angry and killed him as he was declaring his love. This enraged Eros, who inspired Dionysus to fall in love with her. Dionysus pursued her, she continued to spurn his advances. Dionysus with help of cunning potion (wine), made Nicaea sleep. Then Dionysus seduce intoxicated beautiful Nicaea. Nicaea conceived Telete from this union. According to some version, Nicaea hung herself after her daughter's birth. Dionysus named the city Nicaea after her.  

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