Europa (consort of Zeus)

In Greek mythology, Europa was a Phoenician princess who was said to have been taken away by Zeus, the king of the gods. Zeus changed himself into the shape of a bull to do this. Europa became the mother of Minos, who later ruled the island of Crete.

Stories about Europa appear in very old writings and paintings. One of the earliest writings mentioning her is from a piece called the Catalogue of Women, found in Oxyrhynchus. The oldest known painting that clearly shows Europa dates back to around the middle of the 7th century BC.

Etymology

Further information: Europe § Name

The name Europa comes from ancient Greek words meaning "wide" and "face" or "eye". In old stories, lands and rivers were often given names of women. The name Europa was first used to describe a place in a poem about a god called Delian Apollo, talking about the western shore of the Aegean Sea. Later, around the year 600 BC, wise men named Anaximander and Hecataeus began using Europa to name a part of the world. There are places in ancient Greece, like Europos in Macedonia, that have similar names.

Some people have tried to link the name Europa to words from other languages that mean "west" or "sunset". One idea connects it to an old word for "evening" or "west" used by people from Phoenicia. Another idea talks about a word meaning "night" or "sunset country". However, many think these ideas are not very likely.

Family

Sources differ about Europa’s family, but they all agree she was from Phoenicia and came from an Argive line that traced back to the princess Io, who was loved by Zeus and changed into a cow. She is usually said to be the daughter of Agenor, the Phoenician King of Tyre. Some stories say her mother was Queen Telephassa, while others call her Argiope.

Europa had two brothers, Cadmus, who brought the alphabet to Greece, and Cilix, who gave his name to Cilicia in Asia Minor. Some stories also mention a third brother named Phoenix.

After coming to Crete, Europa had three sons with Zeus: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Sarphedon. Minos and Rhadamanthus later became judges in the place where people go after they die. In Crete, Europa married Asterion and became the mother or step-mother of his daughter Crete. One poet said Europa also had a son named Carnus.

Mythology

Zeus fell in love with Europa and decided to make her his wife. To do this, he changed himself into a gentle white bull and joined her father’s herd of animals. While Europa and her friends were picking flowers, she noticed the beautiful bull, petted it, and climbed on its back. Then Zeus ran to the sea and swam with her to the island of Crete.

Once there, Zeus showed Europa who he really was, and she became the first queen of Crete. Zeus gave her special gifts, including a magical necklace made by Hephaestus and a bronze guard named Talos. Later, Zeus placed the shape of the white bull into the stars, which we now call the constellation Taurus. This story is different from the tale of the Cretan Bull that became the parent of the Minotaur and was captured by Heracles. The Romans told a similar story, calling the god Jupiter instead of Zeus.

Cult

Astarte and Europa

In the land of Sidon, people believed that a big temple belonged to the goddess Astarte. Some thought Astarte was the moon goddess. But others told a story about a princess named Europa, who was sister to Cadmus. They said Europa disappeared from Earth, and the people of Sidon built a temple to honor her. They told how the god Zeus fell in love with her and changed into the shape of a bull to carry her away to the island of Crete. Coins from Sidon even showed Europa sitting on a bull, which they believed was Zeus.

Interpretation

There are different stories about how Europa came to the world of the ancient Greeks, but they all agree she arrived in Crete. In one story, she was carried there by Zeus, who looked like a bull. In another story, people from Crete took her there. Europa is closely linked to stories about sacred bulls, which were important in places like the Levant.

Europa was not directly honored in temples in ancient Greece, but in a place called Lebadaea in Boeotia, people referred to the goddess Demeter as “Europa.” There was also a festival in Crete called Hellotia to celebrate Europa.

Argive genealogy

Europa was a princess from a place called Phoenicia. In ancient stories, she is known as the mother of Minos, who became a king on the island of Crete. One of the oldest writings about her comes from a piece of work called the Catalogue of Women, which was found in a place named Oxyrhynchus.

In art and literature

Europa inspired a short epic poem written in the mid-2nd century BCE by Moschus, a poet who was a friend of Aristarchus of Samothrace.

The famous poet Ovid told Europa's story in his work Metamorphoses. He described how she slowly lost her fear and climbed onto the back of a gentle bull, not knowing it was actually a god in disguise. As they moved into the sea, she held onto the bull's horns, feeling both curious and a little scared.

Europa's story has been shown in many artworks. In some pictures, she sits comfortably on the bull's back, showing she trusts him. Her tale was also told by Nathaniel Hawthorne in his book Tanglewood Tales and appears in poems and films about the character Enderby (fictional character) by Anthony Burgess. The story is included in De Mulieribus Claris, a book by Giovanni Boccaccio from 1361–62. This book was the first to focus only on stories about famous women.

Namesakes

Continent

Further information: European symbols § Europa

The name Europe comes from an ancient story. Early mapmakers used the name to talk about a place near the Balkan Mountains. Later, during a big empire called Rome, they used the name for a nearby area. The word Europe comes from an ancient Greek word and is used in many different languages today.

The idea of Europe grew over time. In the 700s, leaders used the name when talking about a Christian area of the world. The name appeared on coins and stamps, and even on modern money called the euro.

Chemical element

The metal europium, a special kind of element, was named in 1901 after the continent.

Moon of Jupiter

Further information: Europa (moon)

When people first used telescopes, they saw that the planet Jupiter had small moons around it. One of these moons was named after Europa from the ancient story.