Melantho

Melantho (Greek Μελανθώ ) is a figure from Greek mythology.

It is mentioned in the Odyssey as one of the twelve faithless maids of Queen Penelope. Your name is possibly connected with the Greek word melas, which means " black ".

Melantho is the daughter of Dolius, which is as a gardener at the court of the king of Ithaca, Odysseus, active, and sister of the goatherds Melanthios. Since her childhood she lived at the court and is known as one of the favorite maids of Penelope, she was so well treated as if she were her own daughter. As Penelope is beset during the long-standing absence of her husband Odysseus of suitors to Melantho, which is described as a beautiful girl with a sharp tongue strikes, but - as her brother Melanthios - on the side of the suitors, and is the mistress of Eurymachus.

Penelope still believes in the return of her husband and tried to gain time by weaving a shroud and the suitors tells that she would choose until after the completion of the cloth a new husband. What she has woven during the day, but it solves secretly at night again. So she manages to stall the suitors for three years, until the suitors Melantho reveals the actions of their mistress. Then the suitors do not want to wait longer for a marriage of Penelope with a recruiter from their ranks.

When Odysseus disguised as a beggar returns to Ithaca and unrecognized stayed in the hall of the palace, insulted and mocked him Melantho - he should stay in the forge and not in a palace, in which so many noble men reside.

After Odysseus has a few days later killed the suitors with the help of his son Telemachus, the cowherd Philoetios and the swineherd Eumaeus, died even Melantho their punishment: it must carry along with the eleven other faithless maids the corpses of the suitors out in front of the palace and the hall, in which Odysseus has bloody revenge on the suitors clean. Then it is hung in the courtyard of the palace along with the other eleven of Telemachus, and Eumaeus Philoetios.

In the 1968 film shot L' Odisseia ( The Odyssey ) by Franco Rossi has played the role of Melantho by Andrea Saric.