Alope: The Granddaughter of Poseidon Who Gave Her Own Baby
Alope was an ancient Greek woman from the town of Eleusis famous for her ravishing beauty.
She was so beautiful that her grandfather, Poseidon, fell for her.
As was common with the Greek gods, Poseidon seduced and raped the young lady and had a child with her. All these happened without Alope’s awareness so she was bemused and took a decision that would change her life forever.
Read on to find out what decision she took and the ripple effects of her actions.
The Myth of Alope
Alope and Poseidon
Alope was a beautiful princess born to King Cercyon of Eleusis who was a wicked king even to his own daughter. Poseidon, the god of the sea, transformed into a kingfisher bird and seduced the young lady who happened to be his granddaughter.
According to the myth of Cercyon, Poseidon had Cercyon with one of the princesses of King Amphictyon of Thermopylae, making Alope his granddaughter. Alope became pregnant and fearing what her father would do once he found out she had given birth, she decided to kill the innocent baby.
Alope Exposes Her Baby
She knew that her father, King Cercyon, would definitely kill the boy and punish her once he found out the truth. Therefore, she hid the baby from her father, wrapped him in royal clothes, and gave him to her nurse to go and expose.
The nurse did as she was told and left the baby in the open to the danger of the harsh weather, wild beasts, and starvation. Infanticide was a common practice around that time when mothers got rid of babies they did not want after giving birth.
The Shepherds Discover Her Baby
The baby was found by a kind mare who suckled him until some shepherds discovered him. The shepherds, however, began disputing over the beautiful royal clothes in which the baby was wrapped.
Unable to reach an agreement as to who should have the clothes, the shepherds took the case to King Cercyon’s palace for him to pass judgment on the matter. The king recognized the royal clothes and launched an investigation to find out the mother of the baby.
He called the nurse and threatened her until she revealed that the baby was for Alope. Cercyon then summoned Alope and instructed his guards to imprison her and later bury her alive.
As for the baby, the wicked Cercyon had him exposed again. Luckily, once again, the baby was discovered by a mare, and again he was suckled till some shepherds found him.
The shepherds then named him Hippothoon and took care of him. As for his mother, Poseidon pitied her and turned her into a spring which was named Hippothoon, just like her son. Later, a monument was erected in her honor called the Monument of Alope between Megara and Eleusis on the spot where they believed her father, Cercyon, killed her.
How Alope’s Son Succeeded King Cercyon
According to the myth of Alope, her son eventually became king after the death of his grandfather, Cercyon, and this is how it happened. King Cercyon was known as a strong wrestler who stood on the roads in Eleusis and challenged anyone who passed by to a wrestling match.
Even people who were not interested in dueling with him were forced to partake in the match. He promised to hand over the kingdom to anyone who defeated him and if he won the vanquished must be killed.
Cercyon was tall and heavily built and exhibited immense strength and power, thus no traveler was able to match his power. He easily dispatched off each challenger and had them killed according to the terms of the match. His cruelty was widespread throughout Greece and people feared using the roads in Eleusis. However, Cercyon’s waterloo moment came when he met the hero Theseus, son of Poseidon, who, like Hercules, had six labors to complete.
Theseus’s fifth task was to kill Cercyon which he did with skill instead of power as Cercyon was more powerful. According to the Greek lyric poet Bacchylides, Cercyon’s wrestling school on the road to the town of Megara was closed as a result of his defeat at the hands of Theseus.
Hippothoon, the son of Alope, heard about his grandfather’s death and came to Theseus to ask that the kingdom of Eleusis be handed over to him. Theseus agreed to give the kingdom to Hippothoon when he learned that, just like him, Hippothoon was born of Poseidon.
The Town Named After Alope
Many historians believe that the ancient Thessalian town, Alope, was named after the daughter of King Cercyon. It was located in the region of Pththiotis between the towns Larissa Cremaste and Echinus.
Conclusion
So far we’ve read the myth of Alope and how tragically she died under the rule of her wicked father King Cercyon of Eleusis.
Here is a summary of what this article has covered:
- Alope was the daughter of King Cercyon whose beauty was enchanting that men and gods found her irresistible.
- Poseidon, the god of the sea, transformed into a kingfisher bird, seduced and raped her which got her pregnant.
- Not knowing who the father of her baby was and what her father would do if he found her pregnant, Alope wrapped her baby boy in royal clothes and gave it to her nurse to go and expose.
- Two shepherds discover the boy but could not agree on who should have the beautiful clothes on the baby so they took the matter to King Cercyon to settle it.
- King Cercyon soon discovered all that had happened and ordered the baby to be exposed again and his daughter be put to death.
The baby, however, survived and eventually came to take over the reins of the kingdom after the death of King Cercyon. Later, a town between Larissa Cremaste and Echinus was named after Alope with a monument erected on the spot that was believed to be where her father killed her.
