Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

, Hyrnetho () was a daughter of

Temenus In Greek mythology, Temenus (, ''Tḗmenos'') was a son of Aristomachus and brother of Cresphontes and Aristodemus. Temenus was a great-great-grandson of Heracles and helped lead the fifth and final attack on Mycenae in the Peloponnese. He ...

, and the wife of Deiphontes, by whom she became mother of Antimenes, Xanthippus, Argeius, and Orsobia. Temenus favored his daughter Hyrnetho and her husband Deiphontes more than his sons, Hyrnetho's brothers, and planned on making Deiphontes his heir. His sons plotted against him and killed him, but nevertheless, the kingdom of Argos passed to Deiphontes and Hyrnetho, since the army supported them rather than Temenus' sons; alternately, the kingdom was seized by Ceisus, the eldest son of Temenus. The brothers knew they would hurt their rival Deiphontes the most if they separated him from Hyrnetho. So Cerynes and Phalces, ignoring the objections of their youngest brother Agraeus, came to

Epidaurus Epidaurus () was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the new municipality of Epi ...

, where Hyrnetho and Deiphontes resided. At first they tried to persuade Hyrnetho to leave her husband and go with them, promising her to marry her to a better person and making heavy accusations against Deiphontes. She didn't believe any of the accusations and defended her husband passionately; so the brothers simply carried her off by force. Upon hearing of it, Deiphontes rushed to her rescue. He shot Cerynes with an arrow, but was afraid to shoot at Phalces, who was holding Hyrnetho; he caught up with his chariot and attempted to get Hyrnetho away. But Phalces dragged her back with such violence that it killed her (she was pregnant at the time). Hyrnetho was buried by her husband and children at a place which later received the name of Hyrnethium. Her tomb and a heroum, with a sacred grove, were shown at

and Argos. Pausanias, ''Description of Greece'', 2. 23. 3; 2. 28. 6

References

{{reflist Princesses in Greek mythology Mythological Argives Queens in Greek mythology