Hippodamia in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Hippodamia

8 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Hippodamia, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Hippodamia, in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa and either Evarete or Eurythoe. She was the wife of Pelops, with whom they h... For the story in one place, read our article on Hippodamia.

Apollodorus (2)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome E.2.1–16Tantalus, Pelops and the house of AtreusThe Epitome describes the punishment of Tantalus in Hades, Pelops' revival after being boiled at the gods' banquet, and his winning of Hippodamia from Oenomaus with the help of the charioteer Myrtilus, whom he then drowns. It follows the sons of Pelops: Atreus and Thyestes quarrel over the kingdom of Mycenae because of the golden lamb, Atreus serves Thyestes his own sons, and Aegisthus, born to Thyestes by his daughter, kills Atreus. It ends with Agamemnon, Menelaus and the children of Agamemnon.
Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 2.1.1–5Inachus, Io and the DanaidsThe line of Inachus of Argos runs through Phoroneus and Apis to Argus the All-seeing, whom Hermes kills while he guards Io, whom Zeus has turned into a cow. Io wanders to Egypt and bears Epaphus, whose descendants include the twins Belus and Agenor. Belus's twin sons Aegyptus and Danaus quarrel over the kingdom, Danaus flees to Argos with his fifty daughters, and they are married to Aegyptus's sons and kill them on the wedding night, all but Hypermnestra, who spares Lynceus.

Pindar (1)

Pindar, Olympian Odes 1.1–116Olympian 1: for Hieron — Pelops and TantalusPindar opens with the praise of water and gold and of the Olympic games as the greatest of contests, and hails Hieron of Syracuse, victor with the horse Pherenicus. He rejects the tale that the gods ate the flesh of Pelops, and tells instead how Poseidon, in love, carried the boy off to Olympus after the banquet of Tantalus, and how Tantalus is punished for stealing nectar and ambrosia with a rock hanging over his head. Pelops later prays to Poseidon, overcomes Oenomaüs in the chariot race and wins Hippodameia. The ode ends with a prayer that Hieron keep his greatness and that Pindar be the foremost poet among Hellenes.

Diodorus Siculus (1)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.71.1–4.75.6Asclepius, Aeacus, Pelops and the kings of TroyThe historian gives the birth and healing art of Asclepius and the descendants of Asopus' daughters, including Aeacus and his sons Peleus and Telamon. He then tells of Oenomaüs and the chariot race by which Pelops wins Hippodameia, and of Tantalus, and ends with the first kings of Troy, from Teucrus and Dardanus down to Priam.

Pausanias (4)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.20.1–19Olympia: Sosipolis, the stadium and the TaraxippusPausanias describes the sanctuary of Ilithyia and Sosipolis on the slope of Mount Cronius, with the story of the child who turned into a serpent and routed the Arcadians. He also describes the Hippodamium, the stadium and the altar of Demeter Chamyne, and the starting-gate of the hippodrome with its bronze eagle and dolphin, invented by Cleoetas. He then gives the rival explanations of the Taraxippus, the 'terror of the horses', which he himself takes to be a surname of Poseidon Hippius.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 5.16.1–8Olympia: the temple of Hera, the Sixteen Women and the Heraean gamesPausanias describes the Doric temple of Hera at Olympia and the quadrennial robe woven for the goddess by the Sixteen Women, who also hold the Heraea, a race of virgins over a shortened stadium. He gives two accounts of the games’ origin, Hippodamia’s thanks to Hera and the Sixteen Women’s peacemaking between Pisa and Elis after Damophon, and describes their two choruses, of Physcoa and of Hippodamia.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 6.21.1–11Olympia and Pisa: Demeter Chamyne, Phrixa and the suitors of HippodamiaPausanias describes the sanctuary of Demeter Chamyne opposite the hippodrome, the gymnasium and the grave of Oenomaus across the Cladeus. He then follows the boundary between Arcadia and the land of Pisa, noting the tomb of Saurus, a ruined temple of Aesculapius, and the ruined city of Phrixa with its temple of Cydonian Athena. He also mentions the grave of the horses of Marmax and the ruins of Harpina, and ends with the mound of the suitors of Hippodamia killed by Oenomaus, with the list of their names given in the Great Eoeae.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.14.1–12Pheneus: Hercules' channel, Ulysses' mares and the tomb of MyrtilusPausanias describes the plain of Pheneus, which once flooded, and the chasms and canal said to have been made by Hercules. In the acropolis of Pheneus are ruins of a temple of Athena Tritonia and a bronze Poseidon said to be dedicated by Ulysses after finding his mares, which Pausanias doubts because bronze casting was not yet known. He mentions the tomb of Iphicles, the games and temple of Hermes, and the grave of Myrtilus, with the story that Pelops threw him overboard. Pausanias rejects the derivation of the Myrtoan Sea from Myrtilus.