MELIBOEA (Meliboia) - Arcadian Oceanid Nymph of Greek Mythology (original) (raw)

Greek Mythology >> Nymphs >> Oceanids >> Meliboea (Meliboia)

Greek Name

Μελιβοια Μελιβοιη

Transliteration

Meliboia, Meliboiê

Translation

Sweet-Cow (meli, bous)

MELIBOIA (Meliboea) was an Okeanid-nymph of Mount Kyllene (Cyllene) in Arkadia (southern Greece). She was the wife of Pelasgos (Pelasgus), the eponymous first king of the aboriginal Pelasgian tribes of Arkadia.

Meliboia's name was derived from the Greek words meli "honey-sweet" and bous "cow"--honeyed was an adjective often applied to springs and cow was a favourable term for a woman (whose bride-price was once paid in cattle). Meliboia was probably the same as Kyllene (Cyllene), the wife of Pelasgos by other accounts.

PARENTS

OKEANOS (Apollodorus 3.96)

OFFSPRING

LYKAON (by Pelasgos) (Apollodorus 3.96)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

MELIBOEA (Meliboia.) A daughter of Oceanus, and, by Pelasgus, the mother of Lycaon. (Apollod. iii. 8. § I.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 96 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Pelasgos (Pelasgus) and Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Meliboia (Meliboea), or, according to others, a Nymphe named Kyllene (Cyllene), had a son Lykaon (Lycaon), who ruled over the Arkadians."