EUADNE
Greek Name
Ευαδνη
Transliteration
Euadnê
Latin Spelling
Evadne
Translation
Very Holy (eu-, adnos)
EUADNE (Evadne) was the Naiad-nymph of a well or fountain of the town of Argos in Argolis (southern Greece). She was the wife of Argos (Argus), the eponymous founding-king of the town and the mother of four sons--Kriasos (Criasus), next king of Argos, Ekbasos (Ecbasus), father of hundred-eyed giant Argos Panoptes, Peiras, father of the drakaina (she-dragon) Ekhidna, and Epidauros, founding prince of the town of Epidauros. Somewhat curiously she was described as a daughter of the river-god Styrmon in distant Thrake, which might symbolise an ancient colonisation or the introduction of a cult from that region.
Euadne was probably identified with Ismene, the wife of King Argos in other accounts.
PARENTS
[1.1] STRYMON & NEAIRA (Apollodorus 2.3)
OFFSPRING
[1.1] EKBASOS, PEIRAS, EPIDAUROS, KRIASOS (by Argos) (Apollodorus 2.3)
[1.2] EKBASOS, PIRANTHOS (corrupt), KRIASOS (by Argos) (Hyginus Fabulae 145)
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2. 3 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Niobe the first mortal woman with hom Zeus had sex, bore Zeus a son Argos (Argus) . . . He got the rule and named the Peloponnesos Argos after himself. He married Euadne (Evadne), the daughter of Strymon and Neaira (Neaera), and sired Ekbasos (Ecbasus), Peiras, Epidauros (Epidaurus), and Kriasos (Criasus). The son of Ekbasos was Agenor, and his son was Argos surnamed Panoptes. This man had eyes all over his body . . .
It is also said that he waited until Ekhidna (Echidna) fell asleep, and then killed her. She was a daughter of Tartaros and Ge (the Earth), who would kidnap travellers passing by . . .
Argos [son of Niobe]
and Asopos' daughter Ismene had a son Iasos, who is alleged to be the father of Io."
[N.B. Both Apollodorus and Pausanias below appear to have sourced their genealogies from the stories of Epimenides.]
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 17. 6 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Epimenides the Kretan (Cretan) [poet C5th B.C.] has also made Styx a daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus) . . . makes her the mother of Ekhidna (Echidna) by Peiras, whoever Peiras was."
Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 145 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Nioba was the first mortal to be embraced by Jove [Zeus]; to her was born Argus who named the city Argos from his own name. From Argus and Evadne, Criasus, Piranthus [Peiras], and Ecbasus were born; from Piranthus and Callirhoe, Argus, Arestorides, and Triopas." [N.B. The genealogy appears to be corrupt.]
SOURCES
GREEK
- Apollodorus, The Library - Greek Mythography C2nd A.D.
- Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.
ROMAN
- Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.