| Aegina | |
|---|---|
 Attic red-figure pyxis showing Zeus chasing Aegina | |
| Abode | Phlius, later Aegina |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Asopus andMetope |
| Siblings | Salamis,Thebe,Corcyra,Tanagra,Thespia,Cleone,Peirene,Asopis,Ornea,Chalcis,Harpina,Ismene,Pelagon (orPelasgus) andIsmenus |
| Consort | (1)Zeus, (2)Actor, (3)Ares |
| Offspring | (1)Aeacus andDamocrateia, (2)Menoetius, (3)Sinope |
| Greek deities series |
|---|
| Nymphs |
Aegina (/iˈdʒaɪnə/;Ancient Greek:Αἴγινα) was a figure ofGreek mythology, thenymph of the island that bears her name,Aegina, lying in theSaronic Gulf betweenAttica and thePeloponnesos. The archaicTemple of Aphaea, the "Invisible Goddess", on the island was later subsumed by the cult ofAthena.Aphaia (Ἀφαῖα) may be read as an attribute of Aegina that provides anepithet, or as a doublet of the goddess.
Though the nameAegina betokens a goat-nymph,[1] such as was CretanAmalthea, she was given a mainland identity as the daughter of the river-godAsopus and the nymph Metope;[2] of their twelve or twenty daughters, many were ravished byApollo orZeus. Aegina bore at least two children:Menoetius byActor, andAeacus byZeus, both of whom became kings. A certainDamocrateia, who married Menoetius, was also called her daughter by Zeus.[3]
The mortal son Menoetius was king ofOpus, and was counted among theArgonauts. His son wasPatroclus,Achilles' first cousin once removed through their paternal family connection to Aegina, and his lover.
The son made immortal, Aeacus, was the king ofAegina, and was known to have contributed help toPoseidon andApollo in building the walls ofTroy. Through him, Aegina was the great-grandmother of Achilles, who was son ofPeleus, son of Aeacus.
In one account, Aegina was also called the mother ofSinope byAres.[4] Otherwise, she was usually her sister; both were daughters of Asopus.[5]
According toApollodorus andPindar, Aegina was abducted byZeus,[6] withOvid adding that he did so in the form of a flame;[7] he then took her to an island nearAttica,[8] then called Oenone,[9] henceforth known by her name. Aegina's father Asopus chased after them; his search took him toCorinth, whereSisyphus was king. Sisyphus, having chanced to see a great bird bearing a maiden away to a nearby island, informed Asopus. Though Asopus pursued them, Zeus threw down his thunderbolts sending Asopus back to his own waters. Aegina eventually gave birth to her sonAeacus, who became king of the island.
When the city of Aegina was depopulated by a plague sent byHera in jealous reprisal for Zeus's love of Aegina, the king Aeacus prayed to Zeus for the ants that were currently infesting an oak tree to morph into humans to repopulate his kingdom. Thus themyrmidons were created.
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Media related toAegina (Oceanid) at Wikimedia Commons
