Idas and Marpessa

Idas and Marpessa are a couple from Greek heroic legend. Marpessa, the daughter of the Aetolian Evenus, was carried off by Idas, a hero of Messenia, and when the god Apollo claimed her as well, Zeus let her choose between them. She chose the mortal, and Idas later died in a quarrel with the Dioscuri.

Winning Marpessa from Evenus

Marpessa and Her Suitors

Marpessa was the daughter of Evenus, himself a son of Ares and Demonice (Apollodorus, Library 1.7.7–8). Homer calls her “Marpessa of the fair ankles”, and the daughter of Evenus (Iliad 9.557). A later writer adds that her mother was Alcippe, a daughter of Oenomaus, and that Evenus meant to keep his daughter unmarried (Pseudo-Plutarch, Parallel Stories 40). Apollo wanted her as well, so she had a god among her suitors.

The Final Suitor: Idas

Idas was a son of Aphareus and Arene of Messenia and the brother of Lynceus, who could see even under the earth (Apollodorus, Library 3.10.3). Apollodorus adds that, according to many, Idas was really a son of Poseidon. Homer calls him “the mightiest of the men then living on the earth” (Iliad 9.558–559). Both brothers sailed with the Argonauts (Apollonius of Rhodes, Argonautica 1.151–155). Idas took Marpessa away in a winged chariot that he had received from Poseidon (Apollodorus, Library 1.7.8). In the Pseudo-Plutarch version he seized her from a band of dancers.

Fleeing with Marpessa

Evenus followed in his own chariot. When he reached the river Lycormas and could not overtake them, he killed his horses and threw himself into the river, which has been called the Evenus ever since (Apollodorus, Library 1.7.8). Another account says that he became immortal in the river (Pseudo-Plutarch, Parallel Stories 40). On the Chest of Cypselus at Olympia, which Pausanias describes, Idas was shown bringing Marpessa back “not against her will”, with an inscription noting that Apollo had carried her off (Pausanias 5.18.2).

Read next · stories with Idas and Marpessa

The Contest with Apollo

A Rift with Apollo

Idas took Marpessa to Messene. Apollo met him there and would have taken the girl from him. Homer says that Idas “took his bow against the lord Phoebus Apollo” for the sake of the fair-ankled maiden (Iliad 9.559–560).

Marpessa’s Decision

The fight was stopped by Zeus, who allowed Marpessa herself to decide which of the two she would marry. She chose Idas, because she feared that Apollo would abandon her when she grew old (Apollodorus, Library 1.7.9).

The Later Life of Idas and Marpessa

Cleopatra, the Daughter

Their daughter was Cleopatra, who married Meleager of Calydon (Iliad 9.556–558; Apollodorus, Library 1.8.2; Pausanias 4.2.7). In the Iliad, Phoenix tells the story of Meleager and calls his wife “Cleopatra, the daughter of Marpessa and Idas”. Homer adds that at home her father and mother called Cleopatra by a second name, Alcyone, because her mother Marpessa had wept like the mournful halcyon bird when Apollo carried her off (Iliad 9.561–564).

The Deaths of Idas and Marpessa

Idas and Lynceus later took part in a cattle raid in Arcadia with the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux. Idas was allowed to divide the spoil: he cut a cow into four parts and ruled that whoever ate his share first would take half the booty and whoever finished second would take the rest. Idas ate his own share and his brother’s and drove the cattle to Messene. The Dioscuri took the cattle back and lay in ambush for the brothers. Lynceus saw Castor hiding, and Idas killed him. Pollux killed Lynceus with a spear and was himself struck down by a stone thrown by Idas. Zeus then killed Idas with a thunderbolt and took Pollux up to heaven (Apollodorus, Library 3.11.2). Pindar also names a dispute over cattle: Idas wounded Castor with his spear, and Zeus struck Idas with a thunderbolt (Nemean 10.60–72).

Hyginus tells a different story. Idas and Lynceus were betrothed to the daughters of Leucippus, and when Castor and Pollux carried the girls off, Castor killed Lynceus in battle. Idas then killed Castor, and Pollux defeated Idas (Hyginus, Fabulae 80).

Pausanias says that Marpessa killed herself when her husband died, as did Cleopatra after Meleager and Polydora, the wife of Protesilaus (Pausanias 4.2.7).