Editing Dirce (section)

== Mythology ==
[[File:Wall painting - punishment of Dirke - Pompeii (VII 4 56) - Napoli MAN 9042 - 01.jpg|thumb|left|Dirce, bound to the horns of a wild bull by Amphion and Zethus (in the presence of their mother Antiope), is punished for having mistreated Antiope. Antique fresco from Pompeii.]]
After [[Zeus]] impregnated Dirce's niece [[Antiope of Thebes|Antiope]], the latter fled in shame to King [[Epopeus]] of [[Sicyon]], but was brought back by Lycus through force, giving birth to the twins [[Amphion and Zethus]] on the way. Lycus gave Antiope to Dirce. Dirce hated Antiope and treated her cruelly, until Antiope, in time, escaped.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+3.5.5&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022 3.5.5]; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+9.25.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160 9.25.3]</ref>

In [[Euripides]]'s lost play ''Antiope'', Antiope flees back to the cave where she gave birth to Amphion and Zethus; they are now living there as young men.  They disbelieve her claim to be their mother and refuse her pleas for sanctuary, but when Dirce comes to find Antiope and orders her to be killed, the twins are convinced by the shepherd who raised them that Antiope is their mother.  They kill Dirce by tying her to the horns of a bull.

Dirce was devoted to the god [[Dionysus]], who caused a spring to flow where she died, either at [[Mount Cithaeron]] or at [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]], and it was a local tradition for the outgoing Theban [[hipparch]] to swear in his successor at her tomb.<ref>Tripp, p. 213.</ref> In [[Statius]]'s ''[[Thebaid (Latin poem)|Thebaid]]'', the spring is a symbol of [[Thebes, Greece|Thebes]], and its name is often used metonymically to refer to the city itself.