Greek Mythology >> Nymphs >> Epimelides >> Nomia

NOMIA

Greek Name

Νομια

Transliteration

Nomia

Latin Spelling

Nomia

Translation

Pasture (nomas)

NOMIA was Epimelid-nymph of Mount Nomia in Arkadia, southern Greece.

The ancient Greek painter Polygnotos depicted Kallisto (Callisto) with her feet resting on Nomia's knees. This perhaps suggests that Nomia was the wife of King Lykaon and the mother of the girl, or else her nurse or companion. It is also worth noting that Lykaon's city of Lykosoura lay in the valley between Mounts Nomia and Lykaios. In one account, the king's wife was Nonakris (Nonacris), nymph of "the Nine Springs."

PARENTS

Nowhere stated

OFFSPRING

KALLISTO (by Lykaon) ? (Pausanias 8.38.10, 10.31.10)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

NO′MIA (Nomia), an Arcadian nymph, from whom mount Nomia, near Lycosura in Arcadia, was believed to have derived its name. (Paus. viii. 38. § 8, x. 31. § 2.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 38. 10 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Of all the cities that earth has ever shown, whether on mainland or on islands, Lykosoura (Lycosura) (Wolf's Tail) [i.e. the city of King Lykaon] is the oldest, and was the first that the sun beheld; from it the rest of mankind have learned how to make them cities. On the left is . . . Mount Lykaios (Lycaeus) . . . On the right of Lykosoura are the mountains called Nomia (Pasture) and on them is a sanctuary of Pan Nomios (Of Pastures) . . . It is very obvious conjecture that the name of the Nomia Mountains derived from the pasturings (nomia) of Pan, but the Arkadians themselves derive the name from a Nymphe."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 10. 31. 10 :
"[Depicted in a painting of the underworld by Polygnotos, C5th B.C., at Delphoi :] Kallisto (Callisto) [the Arkadian princess] has a bearskin, and her feet are lying on Nomia's knees. I have already mentioned that the Arkadians say that Nomia is a Nymphe native to their country. The poets say that the Nymphai (Nymphs) live for a great number of years, but are not altogether exempt from death."