Europa

Europa Europe
In Greek mythology, daughter of Agenor, King of Tyre. Her father, the offspring of Libya and Poseidon, had left Egypt to take up residence in Phoenicia with his five sons, Cadmus, Phoenix, Cilix, Thasus, and Phineas. These young princes were sent out to look for their sister after Zeus, disguised as a bull, swam to Crete with Europa on his back. On the island she bore the god three sons, Minos, Rhadamanthys, and Sarpedon. It is plausibly argued that Europa was a goddess of the night, since her name relates to the Semitic verb ‘to set’. A text from the Syrian city of Ugarit, a thriving commercial centre known to the Mycenaean Greeks before its destruction in about 1190 BC, speaks of ‘our Lady, the goddess, the veiled bride … entering the sunset’. In essence, this is the myth of Europa, who was carried away far westward to be married.

After bearing Zeus' three sons, she wed Asterius, King of Crete, who adopted Zeus' sons and...

[The entire page is 233 words long]

Join eNotes

The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:

eNotes Pass