Editing Telephassa

{{Short description|Lunar epithet in Greek mythology}}

'''Telephassa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|t|ɛ|l|ᵻ|ˈ|f|æ|s|ə}}; {{langx|grc|Τηλέφασσα}}, ''Tēléphassa'', "far-shining"), also spelled '''Telephaassa''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|t|ɛ|l|ᵻ|f|i|ˈ|æ|s|ə}}; {{lang|grc|Τηλεφάασσα}}) and '''Telephe'''<ref>[[Scholia]]st on [[Euripides]], ''[[Ion (play)|Ion]]'' 5</ref> ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|t|ɛ|l|ᵻ|f|iː}}; {{lang|grc|Τηλέφη}}), is a lunar [[epithet]] in [[Greek mythology]] that is sometimes substituted for '''[[Argiope (mythology)|Argiope]]''' the wife of [[Agenor]], according to his name a "leader of men"<ref>Kerenyi, ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' 1959:27.</ref> in [[Phoenicia]], and mother of [[Cadmus]].<ref>"She bore the lunar name Telephassa or Telephae, 'she who illuminates afar', or Argiope 'she of the white face'", [[Karl Kerenyi]] notes in ''The Heroes of the Greeks'' 1959:27.</ref><ref>Other mythic figures were also named Argiope.</ref>

== Family ==
In one account, Telephassa was a descendant of [[Libya of Egypt|Libya]] herself.<ref name=":0">[[Moschus]], ''Europa'' [https://www.theoi.com/Text/Moschus.html#2 2.37-43]</ref> In a version of the myth, Telephe was called the daughter of [[Epimedusa]] who was otherwise unknown.<ref name=":2">Scholia on [[Euripides]], ''Phoenician Women'' 5</ref>

Telephassa had several children, including [[Europa (consort of Zeus)|Europa]],<ref name=":1">Moschus, ''Europa'' [https://www.theoi.com/Text/Moschus.html#2 2.42]</ref> [[Cilix]], [[Cadmus]], [[Thasus]],<ref>Kerenyi 1959:27f.</ref> and [[Phoenix (son of Agenor)|Phoenix]].<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], 3.1.1</ref> Thasus is sometimes said to be her grandchild by Cilix.<ref>Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.1.1&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022:book=3:chapter=1&highlight=Thasus 3.1.1] with [[Pherecydes of Athens|Pherecydes]] as the authority</ref> Her husband was Agenor or perhaps Phoenix<ref name=":1" /> in a version in which Cadmus and Europa and their brothers are children of Phoenix. In the latter's version, [[Peirus (mythology)|Peirus]], [[Phoenice (mythology)|Phoenice]] and [[Astypalaea|Astypale]] were included as Phoenix's offsprings.<ref name=":2" />

== Mythology ==
Telephassa gave to her daughter, Europa, the basket of gold which was made by [[Hephaestus]]. This gift was originally bestowed by [[Poseidon]] to [[Libya of Egypt|Libya]] who in turn gave this to Telephassa by the account of their blood relation.<ref name=":0" /><blockquote>"Now Europa’s basket was of gold, an admirable thing, a great marvel and a great work of Hephaestus, given of him unto Libya the day the Earth-Shaker took her to his bed, and given of Libya unto the fair beauteous Telephassa because she was one of her own blood; and so the virgin Europa came to possess the renownèd gift, being Telephassa was her mother."<ref name=":0" /></blockquote>[[Zeus]] saw [[Europa (mythology)|Europa]] gathering flowers, transformed himself into a white bull, and carried her away to the island of [[Crete]]. He then revealed his true identity and Europa became the first queen of Crete. Telephassa accompanied her son Cadmus on a quest to find Europa. The mother and son traveled to the islands of [[Rhodes]] and [[Santorini|Thera]] before arriving in [[Thrace]], where Telephassa fell ill and died. "On Samothrace... the mother was called [[Electra (Greek mythology)|Elektra]] or [[Electryone|Elektryone]]", Karl Kerenyi notes.<ref>Kerenyi 1959:27.</ref> After burying his mother, Cadmus was told of the [[oracle]] of [[Delphi]] by the Thracians. Upon consulting the oracle, he was advised to travel until encountering a cow. He was to follow this cow and to found a city where the cow would lie down; this city became [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]]. Cilix, Europa's other brother, also searched for her and settled down in southern [[Asia Minor]]. The land was called [[Cilicia]] after him.

== Argive family tree ==
{{Argive genealogy in Greek mythology}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

== References ==

* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. ISBN 0-674-99135-4. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
* [[Károly Kerényi|Kerényi, Carl]], ''The Heroes of the Greeks'', Thames and Hudson, London, 1959.
* [[Moschus]], ''Europa from'' ''The Greek Bucolic Poets'' edited by J. M. (John Maxwell) Edmonds. William Heinemann; G. P. Putnam's Sons. London; New York. 1919. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0644 Greek text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

[[Category:Naiads]]
[[Category:Children of Nilus]]
[[Category:Queens in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Phoenician characters in Greek mythology]]