Phaedra (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Phaedra /ˈfiːdrə, ˈfɛdrə/ (Ancient Greek: Φαίδρα, Phaidra) (or Fedra) was a Cretan princess. Phaedra's name derives from the Greek word φαιδρός (phaidros), which meant "bright".

Phaedra (1880) by Alexandre Cabanel

Family

Phaedra was the daughter of Minos and Pasiphaë or Crete, and thus sister to Acacallis, Ariadne, Androgeus, Deucalion, Xenodice, Glaucus and Catreus and half-sister to Minotaur. She was the wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon of Athens and Acamas.

Mythology

Though married to Theseus, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus's son by another woman (born to either Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, or Antiope, her sister). But Hippolytus rejected her.

In revenge, Phaedra wrote Theseus a letter that claimed Hippolytus had raped her. Theseus believed her and cursed Hippolytus with one of the three curses he had received from Poseidon.[1] As a result, Hippolytus's horses were frightened by a sea monster and dragged their rider to his death.

In another version, after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus killed his son, and Phaedra then committed suicide out of guilt, for she had not intended Hippolytus to die. Then Artemis later told Theseus the truth.

In a third version, Phaedra told Theseus and did not kill herself; Dionysus then sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus's horses.

Euripides twice placed this story on the Athenian stage, of which one version survives.

According to some sources, Hippolytus had spurned Aphrodite to remain a steadfast and virginal devotee of Artemis, and Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as a punishment.[2]

In one version, Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her love, and he swore he would not reveal her as a source of information.

Phaedra with an attendant, probably her nurse, a fresco from Pompeii, 60–20 BC

In art

Sarcophagus – death of Fedra, 2nd century, Santa Maria delle Vigne, Genoa

In literature

Phaedra's story appears in many acclaimed works of literature, including:

In music

Phaedra is also the subject of a number of musical works, including:

In film

Notes

  1. ↑ Odyssey iv. 274.
  2. ↑ The Athenians maintained a small shrine high on the south slope of the Acropolis devoted to Aphrodite 'for Hippolytus' (Karl Kerenyi, The Heroes of the Greeks, 1959:243).
  3. ↑ Fedra (Dramma mitologico dell'Antica Grecia) (1909) on IMDb
  4. ↑ Phädra (TV 1967) on IMDb

References

  • Media related to Phaedra at Wikimedia Commons
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