In
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 ...
, Psalacantha (
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
: ) was a
nymph
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
of the island
Icaria
Ikaria, also spelled Icaria (; ), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos.
Administratively, Ikaria forms a separate municipality within the Ikaria regional unit, which is part of the North Ae ...
, who later got turned into a plant by the god Dionysus.
Mythology
According to
Ptolemy Hephaestion Ptolemy Chennus or Chennos ("quail") ( ''Ptolemaios Chennos''), was an Alexandrine grammarian during the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian.
According to the ''Suda
The ''Suda'' or ''Souda'' (; ; ) is a large 10th-century Byzantine Empire, Byzantine ...
, Psalacantha fell in love with
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...
and promised to help him win the love of
Ariadne
In Greek mythology, Ariadne (; ; ) was a Cretan princess, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. There are variations of Ariadne's myth, but she is known for helping Theseus escape from the Minotaur and being abandoned by him on the island of N ...
on condition that he satisfy her own desires as well. Dionysus refused and Psalacantha went on to advise Ariadne against him, whereupon the god became enraged and changed Psalacantha into a plant known as ''psalakanthos''. Later, he repented and decided to commemorate Psalacantha by having the plant worked into Ariadne's wreath, the one that was changed into the constellation
Corona Borealis
Corona Borealis is a small constellation in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere. It is one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. Its brightest stars form a sem ...
.
[Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 5 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse) (Greek mythographer C1st to C2nd A.D.) :
"As for the ''psalakanthos'', it's an Egyptian plant which gains health and victory when used to decorate horses. It is said, on the other hand, that Psalakantha (Psalacantha) was a Nymphe of the isle of Ikaros (Icaria) who, captured by Dionysos, helped him to obtain Ariane (Ariadne) on the condition that he should also belong to her, and Dionysos refused; Psalakantha took herself to Ariane and the irritated god turned her into a plany; then, feeling remorse, he wanted to honour this plant by placing it in the crown of Ariane, who took her place among the celestial constellations. As for the plant, some say it resembles the ''armoise'', others the melilot."]
History
The plant was used in Ancient Greece to honour the god
Dionysus
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...
during festivals, along with the customary wine and grapes.
See also
*
Carya of Laconia
In Greek mythology, Carya was a Laconian princess as the daughter of the King Dion.
Family
Carya's mother was Amphithea, daughter of Pronax of Argos. Her sisters were Lyco and Orphe.
Mythology
Apollo, in reward for Dion and Amphithea ...
*
Clytie
In Greek mythology, the name Clytie (Ancient Greek: Κλυτίη, Ionic) or Clytia (, Attic and other dialects) may refer to:
*Clytie (Oceanid), known for her unrequited love for Helios. Out of jealousy, Clytie arranged the death of Leucothoe, ...
*
Crocus
''Crocus'' (; plural: crocuses or croci) is a genus of seasonal flowering plants in the family Iridaceae (iris family) comprising about 100 species of perennial plant, perennials growing from corms. They are low growing plants, whose flower stem ...
*
Myia
Myia (; , literally "Fly"; fl. c. 500 BC) was a Pythagorean philosopher and, according to later tradition, one of the daughters of Theano and Pythagoras.
Life
Myia was married to Milo of Croton, the famous athlete. She was a choir leader as a ...
References
External links
PSALACANTHA from The Theoi Project
Metamorphoses into flowers in Greek mythology
Mythology of Dionysus
Nymphs
{{Greek-deity-stub