Cydippe (Rhodes)
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In Greek mythology, Cydippe (Ancient Greek: Κυδίππη, romanized: Kudíppē) also called Cyrbia (Ancient Greek: Κυρβία, romanized: Kurbía) is a Rhodian princess, daughter of king Ochimus and the nymph Hegetoria. Cydippe eventually married her uncle Cercaphus and became queen of Rhodes, an island in the southeast Aegean Sea. She and Cercaphus had three sons together, Cameirus, Ialysus, and Lindus, founders of ancient Rhodian cities.
Mythology
The princess Cydippe was engaged by her father to a man named Ocridion and was about to marry him. But secretly from the rest of the Rhodians, her paternal uncle Cercaphus had fallen in love with her and deviced a plan to be with her.[5] When time arrived for the wedding, the herald came to fetch Cydippe, but instead of delivering her to her rightful husband-to-be Ocridion, he took her to Cercaphus as agreed; this was the reason why heralds where not allowed into the shrine of Ocridion afterwards.[5][6] Cercaphus then fled with his new bride Cydippe, and only returned home when Ochimus had grown old.[5] When he eventually died, Cercaphus inherited his brother's throne, and Cydippe became queen.[1]
Cydippe, who later changed her name to Cyrbia, bore her uncle three sons; Cameirus, Ialysus, and Lindus,[7] each of which founded a Rhodian city they named after themselves (Camirus, Ialysus and Lindos respectively).[1][8]
Background
In antiquity Achaia, the primeval Rhodian city that was founded by Cercaphus and Ochimus, was also called Kyrba or Kyrbe. The Kyrb- root also appears in placenames and people in Crete.[9] According to Diodorus Siculus, a great deluge struck Rhodes, and thus Cyrbe was buried beneath the flood and laid waste.[1]
It is known that Cydippe was the subject of one of the paintings of renowned ancient Carian-born Rhodian artist Protogenes.[10][11]
