Greek Mythology >> Nymphs >> Naiads >> Ortygia

ORTYGIA

Greek Name

Ορτυγια

Transliteration

Ortygia

Latin Spelling

Ortygia

Translation

Quail (ortux)

ORTYGIA was the Naiad-nymph of the sacred Ortygian grove near Ephesos in Lykia (Lycia) (western Anatolia). She was the nurse of the god Apollon.

Ortygia was identified with Asteria, the goddess personification of the island of Delos--rival birth-place of the god Apollon

PARENTS

Perhaps a daughter of the local River KENKHRIOS

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Strabo, Geography 14. 1. 20 (trans. Jones) (Greek geographer C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"On the same coast [near the city of Ephesos (Ephesus)], slightly above the sea, is also Ortygia, which is a magnificent grove of all kinds of trees, of the cypress most of all. It is traversed by the Kenkhrios (Cenchrius) River, where Leto is said to have bathed herself after her travail. For here is the mythical scene of the birth, and of the nurse Ortygia, and of the holy place where the birth took place, and of the olive tree near by, where the goddess is said first to have taken a rest after she was relieved from her travail . . . There are several temples in the place, some ancient and others built in later times; and in the ancient temples are many ancient wooden images, but in those of later times there are works of Skopas (Scopas); for example, Leto holding a sceptre and Ortygia standing beside her with a child in each arm."