Rhodopis and Euthynicus
Chaste hunters punished by Aphrodite; one became a testing fountain.
Rhodopis and Euthynicus are two young hunters from ancient Greek mythology who swore an oath of chastity to Artemis, the maiden goddess of the hunt. Their story, attested in a second-century AD romance novel by Achilles Tatius and a twelfth-century Byzantine novel by Niketas Eugenianos, centers on the wrath of Aphrodite, who caused them to fall in love and break their vow, leading to Rhodopis's transformation into a fountain used as a test of virginity.
- mythological_origin
- Ancient Greek
- attested_in
- Leucippe and Clitophon (2nd century AD) and Drosilla and Charikles (12th century)
- known_for
- Sworn chastity to Artemis, punishment by Aphrodite, transformation into a testing fountain
- associated_deities
- Artemis, Aphrodite, Eros
- iconographic_evidence
- Calyx-crater (c. 340-330 BC) attributed to the Darius Painter
Lore & Background
Rhodopis was a beautiful chaste maiden who kept her hair short and loved to hunt. Artemis noticed her and invited her to join the hunt, leading Rhodopis to shun marriage and romantic love. Similarly, Euthynicus of Ephesus was a devoted hunter averse to romance. When Artemis was absent, Aphrodite, angered by their oath, commanded Eros to strike them with love-inducing arrows, and they immediately fell in love. They withdrew to a cavern and broke their chastity vows. Artemis, seeing Aphrodite laughing, understood and metamorphosed Rhodopis into a fountain called Styx at the spot where she lost her virginity. The fountain thereafter served as a test: if a virgin stepped in, water covered only her knees; if not, it rose to her neck. Euthynicus's fate is not mentioned.
Reader's Guide
The myth of Rhodopis and Euthynicus illustrates the antagonism between Aphrodite and Artemis, representing love and chastity respectively. It parallels other myths such as Callisto and Hippolytus, where companions of Artemis break vows or reject love. The story's inclusion in a second-century romance novel and a twelfth-century Byzantine work shows its endurance in literary tradition. The element of a spring used to test virginity echoes Tatius's account of Syrinx, where panpipes sound a melody for a passing virgin. Iconographic evidence from a calyx-crater (c. 340-330 BC) suggests an earlier variant where Rhodope (Rhodopis) is tested before a king named Scythes, and Apollo appears as a possible seducer and progenitor of the Cicones, indicating adaptation in an Anatolian context. This lost narrative may derive from a fourth-century tragedy. The myth's significance lies in its exploration of divine punishment, the clash of domains, and the cultural motif of testing female purity.
Did You Know?
- Rhodopis and Euthynicus are attested only in two late sources: a second-century AD romance by Achilles Tatius and a twelfth-century Byzantine novel by Niketas Eugenianos.
- After breaking her vow, Rhodopis was transformed into a fountain called Styx, which was used to test the virginity of young women.
- A calyx-crater from circa 340-330 BC attributed to the Darius Painter depicts a variant of the myth involving a king named Scythes and the god Apollo.
- The myth parallels the story of Hippolytus, centering on the antagonism between Aphrodite and Artemis.
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