KOMBE
Greek Name
Κομβη
Transliteration
Kombê
Latin Spelling
Combe
Translation
Girdled, Buckled (komboô)
KOMBE (Combe) was a nymph of the island of Euboia (central Greece) who was the mother of the seven Euboian Korybantes (Corybantes) by Sokos (Socus).
Kombe may have been the same as Mystis and Makris--Euboian nurses of the infant god Dionysos. The Korybantes were sometimes described as his protectors.
PARENTS
OPHIOS (Ovid Metamorphoses 7.382)
OFFSPRING
KORYBANTES (by Sokos) (Nonnus Dionysiaca 13.135)
CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES
Ovid, Metamorphoses 7. 382 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"Pleuron [in Aetolia], where on fluttering wings Combe, the child of Ophius, escaped her sons' assault."
[N.B. It is not clear if this Kombe (Combe) is the same as the one mentioned by Nonnus below. However Kombe is described fleeing the island with her sons.]
Nonnus, Dionysiaca 13. 135 ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :
"From the famous island [of Euboia (Euboea) came the Korybantes (Corybantes)] : Prymneus, and Mimas Waddlefoot, and Akmon (Acmon) the forester, Damneus and Okythoos (Ocythous) the shieldman; and with them came flash-helm Melisseus as comrade to Idaios (Idaeus), whom their father Sokos (Socus) under the insane goad of impiety had once cast out of the brinegirt country along with Kombe (Combe) the mother of seven. They escaped [from Euboia] and passed to Knossian (Cnossian) soil, and again went on their travels from Krete (Crete) to Phrygia, and from Phrygia to Athens; where they remained as foreign settlers and hearthguests until Kekrops (Cecrops) destroyed Sokos with avenging blade of justice; then leaving the land of brineflooded Marathon turned their steps homewards to the sacred soil of the Abantes." [N.B. Kekrops was the first king of Athens. The names of these Korybantes are the same as those of the Kouretes (Curetes), the Kretan protectors of the infant Zeus.]
SOURCES
GREEK
- Nonnus, Dionysiaca - Greek Epic C5th A.D.
ROMAN
- Ovid, Metamorphoses - Latin Epic C1st B.C. - C1st A.D.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.