Europa (mythology)
Europe ( ancient Greek Εὐρώπη, ancient greek pronunciation Europe; details about names, see under Europe), a figure of Greek mythology, is the daughter of the Phoenician king Agenor and Telephassa. Zeus fell in love with it. He transformed himself because of his suspicious wife, Hera into a bull. His messenger Hermes drove a herd of cows in the vicinity of the playing on the beach of Sidon Europe, the kidnapped Zeus - bull on his back. He swam with her to Matala on the island of Crete, where he turned back. The connection with the God sprang three children: Minos, Rhadamanthus and Sarpedon. Due to a promise of Aphrodite, the foreign continent was named after Europe.
Stories
The earliest literary reference to Europe is to be found in the Iliad by Homer, where she is the daughter of Phoinix. Ancient Tales of the Euro- myth can be found in the "Europe" of Moschos and in the "Metamorphoses " of Ovid. There are many different legends about the abduction of Europa.
One version of the myth is found in Ovid's Metamorphoses. According to Ovid Jupiter transforms ( Roman for Zeus) into a bull, a particularly strong, but very peaceful -looking specimen with pure, snow white coat and small horns, which look as if they have made an artist. Jupiter mingle with a herd of royal bulls that Mercurius ( for Hermes Roman ) has been driven to the beach, and approaches to Europe, which is with her companions on the beach. Europe's fear is soon overcome, she plays with the bull, feeding him, caressing him and umwindet his horns with flowers. Finally she dares to climb on his back - because the bull enters the water and swims out to sea. He takes her to Crete, where he obtained his bull shape and reveals itself.
Agenor sent his sons out to look for her sister Europe, but the investigations are unsuccessful. Finally Cadmus consulted the oracle of Delphi and of this instructed to abandon the search for his sister and instead found the Boeotian city of Thebes.
According to other sources of Europe should have born after the affair with Zeus three sons. She was then married to Asterios, king of Crete, and became the queen of Crete. Asterios, who himself had no children, adoptees and their three sons.
The historian Annette Kuhn maintains the patriarchal tradition through the Ovid myth against an alternative Lesweise, embracing the early matriarchy. So she sees the matriarchy at work, as the mother of Europe, Telephassa, Zeus imposed on a penalty for his behavior, namely the refusal of Europe of love and the death of nature. She interprets the myth to the effect that Zeus in the first place in disguise, Europe could approach. "Love, that is the simple message that can not be enforced. Since not help all male Transfiguration and arts of dissimulation on. "
Representation
The oldest discovered vase paintings, which depict clearly Europe, date back to the 7th century BC. Later pictorial representations show Europe mostly, Ovid's description following, as she is kidnapped by Zeus - bull. It is usually only lightly clothed or naked, sitting astride ( in older representations ), sideways or semi - lying ( in more recent representations ) on the back of the white bull, holding on to him and shows no signs of fear.
Use in the second series of euro banknotes
Since 2 May 2013, the legendary figure in the 5 - € bill ready, this is the first appearance of the second series " Europe series" of Euro banknotes. The issue of the new 10 - € banknotes will take place from 23 September 2014.