Maera in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Maera

6 passages from 3 ancient authors that tell of Maera, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Maera was a name given to various figures in Greek mythology. This was the name of the daughter of the Titan Atlas, who later married Tegeates, while ... For the story in one place, read our article on Maera.

Homer (1)

Homer, Odyssey 11.225–332The women of oldPersephone sends up the ghosts of the women who were wives and daughters of heroes, and Odysseus questions each in turn. He sees Tyro, Antiope, Alcmene, Megara, Epicaste, Chloris, Leda, Iphimedeia, Phaedra, Procris, Ariadne, Maera, Clymene and Eriphyle. He then breaks off, saying that the night is late.

Pausanias (3)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.12.1–9Mantinea: the roads to Methydrium and Orchomenus, Penelope's grave and Anchises' tombPausanias notes the sanctuary of Zeus Charmon and the oaks of Arcadia, including the cork oak whose bark is used for floats. On the road to Methydrium he tells how Alcimedon exposed his daughter Phialo and her child by Hercules, and how a jay's imitation of the baby's cries led Hercules to them. On the roads to Orchomenus are the stadium of Ladas, the mound the Mantineans say is Penelope's grave, the ruins of old Mantinea and the tomb of Anchises on Mount Anchisia.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.48.1–8Tegea: the market-place, the women's victory over Charillus and AugePausanias describes the brick-shaped market-place of Tegea, with its temple of Aphrodite, reliefs of the lawgivers and of the Olympic victor Iasius, and a digression on the palm and other crowns given to victors. He covers the relief of Ares, called Entertainer of Women because the women of Tegea, under Marpessa, routed the Spartan king Charillus in ambush and kept the sacrifice to themselves. He also mentions the altar of Full-grown Zeus, the tombs of Tegeates and Maera, and the temple of Ilithyia, called Auge on her Knees, with the two tales of the birth of Telephus.
Pausanias, Description of Greece 10.30.1–9Delphi: Polygnotus' painting of the underworld (3): the daughters of Pandareos, Phocus, Orpheus and ThamyrisPausanias continues the underworld painting with the daughters of Pandareos, Antilochus, Agamemnon, Protesilaus, Achilles and Patroclus, and Phocus giving a signet to Iaseus. He describes Maera, Actaeon with his mother and hound, and Orpheus seated in the grove of Proserpine beside the willows and Promedon. He ends with Schedius, Pelias, the blind Thamyris with his broken lyre and Marsyas teaching Olympus to play the flute.

Nonnus of Panopolis (2)

Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 12.187–324Book 12: Cissos becomes ivy; Dionysos tastes the wineCissos is changed into the ivy that twines round the new vines. Dionysos presses the first grapes with his hands and drinks the wine from an ox-horn. He praises the vine above the laurel, the olive and the corn, and promises to avenge Ampelos on the bull. The poet then gives another account, of how wild vines first grew and a serpent tasted the juice.
Nonnus of Panopolis, Dionysiaca 43.143–224Book 43: Poseidon's threats; the Tritons and Pan fight on the wavesPoseidon mocks Dionysos as a god who fled from Lycurgos and threatens to drown the Bacchants. He calls up his Tritons and yokes his sea-horses. Triton sounds the charge, Glaucos drives a team over the surface, and Pan skips on the water chasing the echo of his own pipes.