Hippodamia

Hippodamia was the daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa and the wife of Pelops. Her father killed her suitors in a chariot race until Pelops won the race with help from Poseidon, and in most accounts from Oenomaus’ charioteer Myrtilus. She became the mother of Atreus and Thyestes, and the ancestor of the house of Atreus.

Family

Hippodamia was the daughter of Oenomaus, king of Pisa in Elis, who had arms and horses given to him by Ares (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.4–5). Hyginus names her mother as Evarete, a daughter of Acrisius (Hyginus, Fabulae 84). Pausanias describes Oenomaus’ wife Sterope, a daughter of Atlas, standing beside him in the sculpture on the east front of the temple of Zeus at Olympia (Pausanias 5.10.6). She married Pelops, son of Tantalus. Pindar says that she bore him six sons (Pindar, Olympian 1.88–89), and Apollodorus names Pittheus, Atreus and Thyestes among Pelops’ sons (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.10); Hyginus also calls Atreus and Thyestes sons of Pelops and Hippodamia (Fabulae 86–88). Other sons of Pelops in the sources are Alcathous, who killed the lion of Cithaeron and became king of Megara (Pausanias 1.41.3), Troezen, who with Pittheus came to the land later called Troezen (Pausanias 2.30.8), and Copreus, the herald of Eurystheus (Apollodorus, Library 2.5.1). Apollodorus also names three daughters of Pelops, married into the family of Perseus: Astydamia, wife of Alcaeus, Lysidice, wife of Mestor, and Nicippe, wife of Sthenelus and mother of Eurystheus (Library 2.4.5). Chrysippus was a son of Pelops by another woman (Apollodorus, Library 3.5.5).

The Chariot Race

Apollodorus says no man won Hippodamia, either because Oenomaus loved her himself or because an oracle warned him that he would die by the hand of the man who married her. He therefore made each suitor take her up on his own chariot and flee towards the Isthmus of Corinth. Oenomaus pursued in full armour and killed any suitor he overtook. Some say he killed twelve, and he nailed their heads to his house (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.4–5). Pindar gives the number as thirteen (Pindar, Olympian 1.79–81).

Pelops, who had been a favourite of Poseidon, came as a suitor. In Pindar he went to the shore at night and asked Poseidon to hold back the bronze spear of Oenomaus and bring him to Elis on the swiftest chariot, and the god gave him a golden chariot and tireless winged horses (Olympian 1.67–88; compare Apollodorus, Epitome 2.3). Pausanias lists the earlier suitors that Oenomaus killed, citing the epic Great Eoiai (Pausanias 6.21.7–10).

Myrtilus

In Apollodorus, Hippodamia herself fell in love with Pelops when she saw his beauty, and she persuaded Myrtilus, the son of Hermes and charioteer of Oenomaus, to help him. Myrtilus was in love with her. He left out the linchpins from the wheels, so that Oenomaus was entangled in the reins and dragged to death, though some say Pelops killed him. As he died, Oenomaus cursed Myrtilus and prayed that he would perish by the hand of Pelops (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.6–7).

Other writers make Pelops strike the bargain himself. Hyginus says Pelops, frightened by the heads of the earlier suitors fixed over the palace doors, promised Myrtilus half the kingdom (Hyginus, Fabulae 84). Pausanias says Myrtilus was himself in love with Hippodamia and betrayed his master because Pelops swore that he could spend one night with her (Pausanias 8.14.11).

The Death of Myrtilus

On the journey away from Pisa, Pelops went to fetch water for his thirsty wife, and Myrtilus tried to rape her. When Pelops learned of it, he threw Myrtilus into the sea off Cape Geraestus, called the Myrtoan Sea after him, and as he fell Myrtilus cursed the house of Pelops (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.8). After being purified, Pelops returned to Pisa and took over the kingdom of Oenomaus (Apollodorus, Epitome 2.9).

Hippodamia at Olympia

Pausanias says that Hippodamia withdrew to Midea in Argolis because Pelops was very angry with her over the death of Chrysippus. The Eleans, following an oracle, later brought her bones to Olympia. Within the Altis there was an enclosed precinct called the Hippodameium, which women entered once a year to sacrifice to her (Pausanias 6.20.7).

Other Hippodamias

Another Hippodamia, the eldest daughter of Anchises, married the Trojan Alcathous (Homer, Iliad 13.428–433). Homer also names a Hippodamia as the mother of Peirithous’ son Polypoetes (Iliad 2.742).

Hippodamia Sources

Apollodorus, Epitome 2.3–10; Pindar, Olympian 1.67–89; Apollodorus, Library 2.4.5, 2.5.1, 3.5.5; Hyginus, Fabulae 84, 86–88; Pausanias 1.41.3, 2.30.8, 5.10.6, 6.20.7, 6.21.7–10, 8.14.11; Homer, Iliad 2.742, 13.428–433.

See Also: Oenomaus, Pelops, Myrtilus, Poseidon, Atreus, Thyestes, Pittheus, Agamemnon, Menelaus