In Greek mythology, Ochne or Ochna (Ancient Greek: Ὄχνη, romanized: Ókhnē, lit. 'pear tree') is a young Boeotian maiden who fell in love with the hero Eunostus, who was also her cousin. When he rejected her, Ochne went to her brothers and accused him of rape, which prompted them to ambush and kill Eunostus, filling Ochne with regret and shame. Her tale is preserved in the writings of Plutarch, a Greek writer of the Roman era.
Family
editOchne was the daughter of Colonus by an unknown mother and sister to Echemus, Leon and Bucolus. She was also cousins with Eunostus.
Mythology
editThe Tanagran Ochne fell in love with her cousin Eunostus, a young hero who was very handsome and virtuous. She confessed her love to him, and not only he rebuffed her advances repulsed, but also decided to report her behaviour to her three brothers, Echemus, Leon and Bucolus. In fear of her enamorment being made known to her family, Ochne thwarted Eunostus's plans by reaching her brothers first and falsely accusing him of forcing himself on her.[1] The brothers were enraged and lay in ambush in order to surprise and slay Eunostus. Eunostus's father Elieus however found out, arrested all three and put them in bonds, which filled the remorseful Ochne with terror. Pitying her brothers and wanting to rid herself of her love-caused torments, she went willingly to Elieus and confessed her crime, and he in turn informed her father Colonus. Colonus decided to banish all three of his sons, while Ochne took her life by jumping from a cliff to her death.[2]
Background
editThe story is related by Roman-era Greek philosopher Plutarch in his Moralia, who gives it as the reason why women were not allowed to enter the sacred shrine and grove of Eunostus, not even in the case of an earthquake. He attributes the story to Myrtis of Anthedon, an ancient Greek poetess of the sixth century BC.[2][3] It is unclear whether Myrtis is meant to be the source of the entire story, or Plutarch is citing her just for a specific detail of his summary.[4]
The myth is one of several examples of the 'Potiphar's wife' archetype found in Greek mythology in which a woman, usually an already married one, tries and fails to seduce a man and then attempts to accuse him of assault; the most famous example is that of Hippolytus and Phaedra, son and wife of Theseus.[5]
Ὄχνη is the ancient Greek word for pear, while her Colonus shares his name with an ancient deme in nearby Athens, perhaps an indication of the cultivation of pears in the region; pears were also considered to be sacred to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.[6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ Bell 1991, s.v. Ochne.
- ^ a b Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae 40
- ^ Harmon, Roger (October 1, 2006). "Musicians (female)". In Cancik, Hubert; Schneider, Helmuth (eds.). Brill's New Pauly. Basle: Brill Reference Online. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e12224080. ISSN 1574-9347. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
- ^ de Vos 2012, p. 78.
- ^ Rose 2004, p. 231.
- ^ Murr 1890, p. 64.
Bibliography
edit- Bell, Robert E. (1991). Women of Classical Mythology: A Biographical Dictionary. ABC-Clio. ISBN 9780874365818.
- de Vos, Mieke (2012). Negen aardse Muzen: Gender en de receptie van dichteressen in het oude Griekenland en Rome (PDF) (Thesis) (in Dutch). Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen.
- Murr, Josef (1890). Die Pflanzenwelt in der griechischen Mythologie [The Plant World in Greek mythology] (in German). Innsbruck.
- Plutarch, Quaestiones Graecae in Moralia, with an English Translation by Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. Online text available at Perseus.tufts Project.
- Rose, Herbert J. (2004). A Handbook of Greek Mythology (6th ed.). London, New York: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-04601-7.