Achiroe
Achiroë /əˈkɪroʊiː/ or Anchirrhoë (Ancient Greek: Ἀχιρ(ρ)όη), or according to the Bibliotheca Anchinoë (Ἀγχινόη),[1] which is perhaps a mistake for Anchiroë, was in Greek mythology a naiad, a daughter of the river-god Nilus. She was also the wife of Belus, by whom she became the mother of Aegyptus and Danaus, and, according to some accounts, Cepheus, and Phineus. Otherwise, the possible mother of this children and spouse of Belus was called Side, eponym of Sidon in Phoenicia.
Greek deities series |
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Nymphs |
Achiroe | |
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Naiad Queen of Egypt | |
Member of the Argive family | |
Abode | River Nile in Egypt |
Personal information | |
Parents | Nilus |
Siblings | Memphis, Telephassa, Chione, Caliadne (possibly), Polyxo (possibly) |
Consort | Belus |
Offspring | Danaus, Aegyptus, Cepheus, Phineus |
Mythology
Anchinoe was a minor figure in Greek accounts and only mentioned by Apollodorus in his Bibliotheca:
- But Belus remained in Egypt, reigned over the country, and married Anchinoe, daughter of Nile, by whom he had twin sons, Egyptus and Danaus, but according to Euripides, he had also Cepheus and Phineus.
Notes
References
- 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.
- Stephanus of Byzantium, Stephani Byzantii Ethnicorum quae supersunt, edited by August Meineike (1790-1870), published 1849. A few entries from this important ancient handbook of place names have been translated by Brady Kiesling. Online version at the Topos Text Project.
Argive genealogy
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Smith, William, ed. (1870). "Achiroe". Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.