Editing Menippe and Metioche

{{short description|Greek mythological women}}
{{redirect|Metioche}}

In [[Greek mythology]], '''[[Menippe (mythology)|Menippe]]''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ᵻ|ˈ|n|ɪ|p|iː}}; {{langx|grc|Μενίππη|Meníppē|courageous mare,{{sfn|Kerenyi|1951|page=65}} sipper{{sfn|Bane|2013|page=231}}}}) and '''Metioche''' ({{langx|grc|Μητιόχη|Mētióchē}}) were daughters of [[Orion (mythology)|Orion]]. They feature in a brief myth about [[human sacrifice]].

== Family ==
Menippe and Metioche were the daughters of Orion by an unnamed mother; although their mother is not given a name, in other sources the first wife of Orion is called [[Side (mythology)|Side]].<ref>Apollodorus, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Apollod.+1.4.3&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0022#note4 1.4.3]</ref> After Orion was killed by [[Artemis]], the girls were raised by their mother while [[Athena]] taught them the art of weaving and [[Aphrodite]] gave them beauty.

== Mythology ==
Once Menippe and Metioche's homeland [[Aonia]] at the base of [[Mount Helicon|Mt. Helicon]] was struck by a plague, and the oracle of Apollo Gortynius, when consulted, informed the people that the two gods of the Underworld{{efn|[[Hades]] and [[Persephone]].}} were angry and that they would only be appeased with the sacrifice of two maidens, who were to offer themselves to death of their own accord. Not two girls in the entire land were willing to sacrifice themselves and the plague continue to ravage the land until a woman brought the news of the prophecy to Menippe and Metioche. The two girls then willingly offered themselves for the sake of their countrymen.

After they thrice invoked the infernal gods, they killed themselves with their shuttles, placating the wrath of the two subterranean rulers. Persephone and Hades eventually took pity in them and metamorphosed their dead bodies into comets. The Aonians then erected them a sanctuary near [[Orchomenus (Boeotia)|Orchomenus]], where a propitiatory sacrifice was offered to them every year by youths and maidens. The [[Thessaly|Aeolians]] called these maidens Coronides.<ref>[[Antoninus Liberalis]], [https://topostext.org/work/216#25 25]</ref><ref>[[Scholia]] on [[Homer]], ''[[Iliad]]'', 18. 486</ref>

In [[Ovid|Ovid's]] recount of the tale, the daughters of Orion remain unnamed and sacrifice themselves for no distinctly given reason, although a withered tree and gaunt goats on a barren field are mentioned and indicate the presence of a plague. From their ashes, two youths arise and lead the funeral train for their "mothers" and instead of Menippe and Metioche, the youths are referred to as "Coroni".<ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0028%3Abook%3D13%3Acard%3D623 13.685-704]</ref>

== See also ==
{{portal|Mythology|Ancient Greece}}

* [[Iphigenia]]
* [[Binding of Isaac]]
* [[Human sacrifice]]

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* [[Antoninus Liberalis]], ''The Metamorphoses of Antoninus Liberalis'' translated by Francis Celoria (Routledge 1992). [https://topostext.org/work/216 Online version at the Topos Text Project.]
* [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], ''The Library'' with an English Translation by Sir James George Frazer, F.B.A., F.R.S. in 2 Volumes, Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1921. {{ISBN|0-674-99135-4}}. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0022 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0021 Greek text available from the same website].
* {{Cite book | last = Bane | first = Theresa | title = Encyclopedia of Fairies in World Folklore and Mythology | publisher = McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers | year = 2013 | isbn = 9780786471119}}
* {{Cite book | author-link = Karl Kerenyi | last = Kerenyi | first = Karl | title = The Gods of the Greeks | publisher = [[Thames and Hudson]] | year = 1951 | location = London, UK}}
* [[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0028 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.]
* Publius Ovidius Naso, ''Metamorphoses.'' Hugo Magnus. Gotha (Germany). Friedr. Andr. Perthes. 1892. [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

{{DGRBM|author=LS|title=Menippe|volume=2|page=1041|url=https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/acl3129.0002.001/1051?view=image&size=100}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphaiKoronides.html MENIPPE AND METIOCHE in The Theoi Project]

{{Metamorphoses in Greco-Roman mythology}}

[[Category:Women in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into terrain in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Characters in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Textiles in folklore]]
[[Category:Deeds of Athena]]
[[Category:Deeds of Aphrodite]]
[[Category:Persephone]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into the opposite sex in Greek mythology]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses characters]]
[[Category:Human sacrifice in folklore and mythology]]

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