.
Greek Mythology >> Nymphs >> Pleiades >> Taygeta (Taygete)

TAYGETE

Greek Name

Ταυγετα Τηυγετη

Transliteration

Taygeta, Têygetê

Latin Spelling

Taygeta

Translation

Of Mount Taygetus

TAYGETE was the Pleiad star- and mountain-nymph of the Taygetos Mountains in Lakedaimonia (Laconia), southern Greece. She was loved by Zeus. Their son Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon) was the ancestor of the kings of Sparta.

FAMILY OF TAYGETE

PARENTS

[1.1] ATLAS (Hesiod Astronomy Frag 1)
[1.2] ATLAS & PLEIONE (Apollodorus 3.110, Hyginus Fabulae 192, Hyginus Astronomica 2.21, Ovid Fasti 4.169 & 5.79)

OFFSPRING

[1.1] LAKEDAIMON (by Zeus) (Apollodorus 3.116, Pausanias 3.12, Hyginus Fabulae 155 & Astronomica 2.21, Nonnus Dionysiaca 32.65)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

TAY′GETE (Taügetê), a daughter of Atlas and Pleione, one of the Pleiades. (Apollod. iii. 10. § 1.) By Zeus she became the mother of Lacedaemon (Apollod. iii. 10. § 3; Paus. iii. 1. § 2, 18. § 7, 20. § 2) and of Eurotas. (Steph. Byz. s. v. Taygeton.) Mount Taygetus, in Laconia, derived its name from her. (Schol. ad Eurip. Or. 615.) According to some traditions, Taygete refused to yield to the embraces of Zeus, and in order to secure her against him, Artemis metamorphosed her into a cow. Taygete showed her gratitude towards Artemis by dedicating to her the Cerynitian hind with golden antlers. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. iii. 53.) Some traditions, moreover, state that by Tantalus she became the mother of Pelops. (Hygin. Fab. 82.)

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Hesiod, Astronomy Fragment 1 (from Scholiast on Pindar's Nemean Odea 2.16) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) :
"The Pleiades whose stars are these :--‘Lovely Teygata (Taygete), and dark-faced Elektra (Electra), and Alkyone (Alcyone), and bright Asterope, and Kelaino (Celaeno), and Maia, and Merope, whom glorious Atlas begot.’"

Pindar, Olympian Ode 3. 27 ff (trans. Conway) (Greek lyric C5th B.C.) :
"For he [Herakles] came from Arkadia's (Arcadia's) high peaks and winding glens, by constraint of his father [Zeus], to perform the bidding of Eurystheus, and bring back the Hind of the golden horns, which once Taygete had vowed to Orthosia [Artemis], a sacred gift, and on it wrote the sign of consecration."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 110 - 111 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"To Atlas and Okeanos' (Oceanus') daughter Pleione were born--on Arkadian Kyllene (Cyllene)--seven daughters called the Pleiades, whose names are Alkyone, Merope, Kelaino, Elektra, Sterope, Taygete, and Maia. Of these . . . Zeus also slept with the other Atlantides."

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 116 :
"[Of the Pleiades :] Taygete bore Zeus Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon)."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 1. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon), whose mother was Taygete, after whom the mountain was named, while according to report his father was none other than Zeus."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 18. 10 - 16 :
"[Amongst the scenes depicted on the throne of Apollon at Amyklai (Amyclae) near Sparta :] To describe the reliefs . . . Poseidon and Zeus are carrying Taygete, daughter of Atlas, and her sister Alkyone. There are also reliefs of Atlas."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Fabulae 155 (trans. Grant) (Roman mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Sons of Jove [Zeus] . . . Lacedaemon by Taygete, daughter of Atlas."

Pseudo-Hyginus, Astronomica 2. 21 :
"The Pleiades are called seven in number, but only six can be seen. This reason has been advanced, that of the seven, six mated with immortals (three with Jove [Zeus], two with Neptunus [Poseidon], and one with Mars [Ares]) . . . from Taygete and Jove [Zeus], [was born] Ladedaemon."

Ovid, Fasti 4. 169 ff (trans.Boyle) (Roman poetry C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.) :
"The Pleiades will start relieving their sire's [Atlas'] shoulders. Called seven, they are usually six, wither because six of them entered a god's embrace . . . Maia, Electra, Taygete [lay] with Jove [Zeus]."

Virgil, Georgics 4. 232 ff (trans. Fairclough) (Roman bucolic C1st B.C.) :
"So soon as Taygete the Pleiad has shown her comely face to the earth [i.e. in spring], and spurned with scornful foot the streams of Oceanus, and when that same star, fleeing before the sign of the water Fish, sinks sadly from heaven into the wintry waves [i.e. in late autumn]."

Nonnus, Dionysiaca 32. 65 ff ff (trans. Rouse) (Greek epic C5th A.D.) :
"I [Zeus] had Teygete Atlas' daughter, from whose bed was born Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon) the ancient prince."

SOURCES

GREEK

ROMAN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.