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Greek Mythology >> Greek Gods >> Titans >> Oceanids >> Eurynome

EURYNOME

Greek Name

Ευρυνομη

Transliteration

Eurynomê

Latin Spelling

Eurynome

Translation

Of Broad-Pastures

EURYNOME was one of the elder Okeanides and the Titan-goddess of water-meadows and pasturelands. She was the third of the brides of Zeus who bore him the Kharites (Charites), goddesses of grace and beauty. Her name means "She of Broad-Pastures" from the Greek words eurys "wide" or "broad" and nomia "pasture."

She was perhaps identified with the Titan-Queen of the same name--Eurynome wife of Ophion.

FAMILY OF EURYNOME

PARENTS

[1.1] OKEANOS & TETHYS (Hesiod Theogony 358, 907; Apollodorus 1.8, 1.13; Hyginus Pref)
[1.2] OKEANOS (Homer Iliad 18.399; Pausanias 8.41.4)

OFFSPRING

[1.1] THE KHARITES (by Zeus) (Hesiod Theogony 907, Apollodorus 1.13, Callimachus Aetia Frag 6, Hyginus Pref)
[2.1] ASOPOS (by Zeus) (Apollodorus 1.156)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

EURY′NOME (Eurunomê). A daughter of Oceanus. When Hephaestus was expelled by Hera from Olympus, Eurynome and Thetis received him in the bosom of the sea. (Hom. Il. xviii, 395, &c.; Apollod. i. 2. § 2.) Previous to the time of Cronos and Rhea, Eurynome and Ophion had ruled in Olympus over the Titans, but after being conquered by Cronos, she had sunk down into Tartarus or Oceanus. (Apollon. Rhod. i. 503, &c.; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 1191.) By Zeus she became the mother of the Charites, or of Asopus. (Hes. Theog. 908; Apollod. iii. 12. § 6.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

PARENTAGE OF EURYNOME

Hesiod, Theogony 346 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :
"She [Tethys] brought forth also a race apart of daughters [the Okeanides (Oceanids)], who with lord Apollon and the Rivers have the young in their keeping all over the earth, since this right from Zeus is given them. They are Peitho . . . Europa, Metis and Eurynome, Telesto . . . [amongst a long list of names.] Now these are the eldest of the daughters who were born to Tethys and Okeanos (Oceanus), but there are many others beside these, for there are three thousand light-stepping daughters of Okeanos scattered far and wide, bright children among the goddesses, and all alike look after the earth and the depths of the standing water."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 8 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"The Titanes (Titans) had children. Those of Okeanos (Oceanus) and Tethys were called Okeanides (Oceanids) : Asia, Styx, Elektra, Doris, Eurynome, Amphitrite, and Metis." [N.B. Apollodorus only names the elder "Titan" Okeanides.]

Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"From Oceanus and Tethys the Okeanides--namely yaea, Melite, Ianthe, Admete, Stilbo, Pasiphae, Polyxo, Eurynome, Euagoreis, Rhodope, lyris, Clytia, teschinoeno, clitenneste, Metis, Menippe, Argia." [N.B. Four of the "names" in thist list are actually adjectives, which Hyginus had misread.]

EURYNOME MOTHER OF THE CHARITES

Hesiod, Theogony 907 ff (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or C7th B.C.) :
"[After Zeus had consorted with Metis and Themis :] And Eurynome, the daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus), beautiful in form, bare him [Zeus] three fair-cheeked Kharites (Charites, Graces), Aglaia (Aglaea), and Euphrosyne, and lovely Thaleia (Thalia), from whose eyes as they glanced flowed love that unnerves the limbs : and beautiful is their glance beneath their brows."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1. 13 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"And by Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Eurynome he [Zeus] had the Kharites (Charites), named Aglaia (Aglaea), Euphrosyne, and Thaleia (Thalia)."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 156 :
"The Asopos river was born of Okeanos (Oceanus) and Tethys . . . [but] others say of Zeus and Eurynome."

Callimachus, Aetia Fragment 6 (trans. Trypanis) (Greek poet C3rd B.C.) :
"Others said that the Titenia (Titaness) Eurynome gave birth to the Kharites (Charites)."

Callimachus, Fragment 471 (from Scholiast V on Homer’s Iliad 18. 399) :
"Some said that Eurynome Titanias (the Titaness) was her [Kharis’ (Charis')] mother."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Preface (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"From Jove [Zeus] and Eurynome [were born] : Gratiae (Graces)."

EURYNOME NURSE OF HEPHAESTUS

Eurynome nursed the god Hephaistos (Hephaestus) in a cave beside the earth-encircling river Okeanos (Oceanus) after his fall from heaven. Her daughter Kharis (Charis) later married the god.

Homer, Iliad 13. 397 ff (trans. Lattimore) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :
"[Hephaistos (Hephaestus) was cast from Olympos by Hera who was disgusted at having borne a crippled child :] Then my [Hephaistos'] soul would have taken much suffering had not Eurynome and Thetis caught me, Eurynome, daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus), whose stream bends back in a circle. With them I worked nine years as a smith . . . working there in the hollow of the cave, and the stream of Okeanos around us went on forever with its foam and its murmur. No other among the gods or among mortal men knew about us except Eurynome and Thetis. They knew, since they saved me."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 41. 4 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Homer mentions [Eurynome] in the Iliad, saying that along with Thetis she received Hephaistos (Hephaestus)."

CULT OF EURYNOME

Eurynome was worshipped at the confluence of the rivers Neda and Lymax in Arkadia (Arcadia). Her son Asopos was the god of a river in the neighbouring region of Sikyonia.

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 41. 4 - 6 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"The river Lymax ("After-Birth") falls into the Neda [in Arkadia]. Where the streams meet is the sanctuary of Eurynome, a holy spot from of old and difficult of approach because of the roughness of the ground. Around it are many cypress trees, growing close together. Eurynome is believed by the people of Phigalia to be a surname of Artemis. Those of them, however, to whom have descended ancient traditions, declare that Eurynome was a daughter of Okeanos (Oceanus), whom Homer mentions in the Iliad, saying that along with Thetis she received Hephaistos (Hephaestus). On the same day in each year they open the sanctuary of Eurynome, but at any other time it is a transgression for them to open it. On this occasion sacrifices also are offered by the state and by individuals. I did not arrive at the season of the festival, and I did not see the image of Eurynome; but the Phigalians told me that golden chains bind the wooden image, which represents a woman as far as the hips, but below this a fish. If she is a daughter of Okeanos, and lives with Thetis in the depth of the sea, the fish may be regarded as a kind of emblem of her. But there could be no probable connection between such a shape and Artemis."

SOURCES

GREEK

ROMAN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.