THEISOA

THEISOA was an Okeanid- and Naiad-nymph of the springs of the town of Theisoa in Arkadia (southern Greece). She and her sisters, Neda and Hagno, nursed the infant god Zeus on Mount Lykaios (Lycaeus).

PARENTS

Presumably a daughter of OKEANOS & TETHYS

ENCYCLOPEDIA

THEISOA (Theisoa), one of the nymphs who brought up the infant Zeus, was worshipped at Theisoa in Arcadia. (Paus. viii. 38. §§ 3, 7, 47. § 2.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 38. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"There is a place on Mount Lykaios (Lycaeus) called Kretea (Cretea) [in Arkadia] . . . The Arkadians claim that the Krete (Crete), where the Kretan story has it that Zeus was reared, was this place and not the island. The Nymphai (Nymphs), by whom they say that Zeus was reared, they call Theisoa, Neda and Hagno. After Theisoa was named a city in Parrhasia; Theisoa today is a village in the district of Megalopolis. From Neda the river Neda takes its name; from Hagno a spring on Mount Lykaios."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 38. 9 :
"To the north of Mount Lykaios (Lycaeus) [in Arkadia] is the Theisoan territory. The inhabitants of it worship most the Nymphe Theisoa."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 41. 1 :
"A river called the Lymax flowing just beside Phigalia falls into the Neda, and the river, they say, got its name from the cleaning of Rhea. For when she had given birth to Zeus, the Nymphai (Nymphs) who cleansed her after her travail threw the refuse into this river. Now the ancients called refuse [afterbirth] lymata."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 47. 3 :
"[In the temple of Athene at Tegea in Arkadia :] Represented on the altar are Rhea and the nymphe Oinoe (Oenoe) holding the baby Zeus. On either side are four figures: on one, Glauke (Glauce), Neda, Theisoa and Anthrakia (Anthracia); on the other Ide (Ida), Hagno, Alkinoe (Alcinoe) and Phrixa."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 31. 4 :
"[In the temple of Demeter and Persephone in Megalopolis, Arkadia :] The table also has a representation of Nymphai (Nymphs), Neda carrying the infant Zeus and another Arkadian Nymphe Anthrakia (Anthracia) holding a torch, and Hagno with a water-jar in one hand and a drinking cup in the other; Ankhiroe (Anchiroe) and Myrtoessa are carrying water-jars and in fact water is pouring down from them."

SOURCES

GREEK

• Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.