Hypermnestra

Hypermestra (Greek Ὑπερμήστρα; Ὑπερμνήστρα also Hypermnestra ) was in Greek mythology, one of the 50 Danaids, the eldest daughter of King Danaos of Argos with the Elephantis.

Myth

She brought a single one of them her husband and cousin Lynkeus - one of the 50 sons of Aegyptus - not as ordered by her father in the wedding night to, but allowed him to escape, either because she had fallen in love with him, or because he had spared her virginity.

Because of their disobedience Hypermestra is jailed and accused of Danaos. In this situation, in prison and shackled with chains, Hypermestra writes one of the fictional letters in the Heroides of Ovid to her groom Lynkeus, in which she portrays the events of the night in dramatic form and laments her fate.

It is provided in Argos in court, but acquitted by the intercession of Aphrodite. Maybe this transaction was the subject of a lost tragedy by Aeschylus. To thank Hypermestra dedicated to Aphrodite Nikephoros, the " game-winning Aphrodite", a statue in the temple of Apollo and founded a sanctuary for Artemis Peitho, the " eloquent Artemis ".

In another version of Lynceus killed Danaus and the murderous sisters Hypermestra. Through him Hypermestra was then mother of Abas and thus the ancestor of a number of heroes, such as Perseus and Heracles.

Horace deals with the history of Danaostöchter in a poem and praises Hypermestra because they do not reveal their love, but rather has broken his oath to her father, with the oxymoron splendide mendax ( admirable hypocritical ).

Hypermestra and Lynceus were worshiped in Argos as heroes in a shared sanctuary. Her grave was located not far from the altar of Zeus Phyxius. In Delphi, founded by the Argives statues of the two were set up in a temple.

Swell

• Libraries of Apollodorus 2,1,4-2,2,1
• Hyginus Fabulae 170 Mythographus
• Aeschylus Prometheus Bound 855-871
• Pindar Nemeen 10.6
• Horace Carmina 3,11,33-52
• Ovid Heroides 14 Hypermestra to Lynkeus