Dia (wife of Ixion)

In Greek mythology, Dia (Ancient Greek: Δία, romanized: Día, lit. 'divine, she-Zeus') was a queen from Thessaly. She was the wife of a man named Ixion and the mother of a famous hero called Pirithous.

Stories about Dia differ. In some stories, Pirithous was not Ixion’s son. Instead, the great god Zeus took the shape of a stallion to meet her and became the father of Pirithous.

Even though Dia was part of important family ties in old stories, she did not have her own adventures or play a big part in the myths about her husband or son. Her name and story remind us of the rich tales from ancient Greece.

Etymology and origins

Dia's name means "divine," connecting her to the gods. Long ago, there was a goddess named Diwia who might have been linked to Zeus. People in Sicyon honored a goddess named Dia or Hebe with this special name. Dia could have been another name for Hera, the wife of Zeus. Her husband, Ixion, once wanted to be with Hera. The true origins of Dia's name and meaning are still not fully known.

Mythology

Dia was a princess. She was the daughter of Eioneus or Deioneus from Perrhaebia. She married Ixion, the king of the Lapiths. But Ixion did not give her father the gifts he had promised. Because of this, Ixion hurt Dia's father.

Dia had one son named Pirithous. In many stories, it is said that Zeus, the king of the gods, was Pirithous' real father. Sometimes, Zeus changed into the shape of a horse to meet Dia. This is why their son was named Pirithous, which means "to run around" in ancient Greek.

Legacy

A moon named Dia goes around the planet Jupiter. The moon is named after a character called Dia from old stories.