Editing Oenotropae

{{hatnote|Elais redirects here; for the genus of oil palms see ''[[Elaeis]]''}}
{{redirects|Oeno|the Pacific island|Oeno Island}}
{{redirects|Spermo|the moth genus|Spermo (moth)}}
In [[Greek mythology]], the '''Oenotropae''' ({{langx|grc|Οἰνοτρόπαι}}, "the women who change (into) wine") or '''Oenotrophae''' ({{langx|grc|Οἰνοτρόφαι}}, the "'''Winegrowers'''") were the three daughters of [[Anius]] and [[Dryope]].<ref name="tripp">Tripp, Edward. ''The Meridian Handbook of Classical Mythology.'' Meridian, 1970, p. 52.</ref><ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0104:entry=anius-bio-1 A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Anius]</ref>

== Names ==
The Oenotropae included: '''Spermo''' ({{Langx|grc|Σπερμώ}}, "seed"), who produced grain; '''Oeno''' or '''Oino''' ({{Langx|grc|Οἰνώ}}, "wine"), who produced wine; and '''Elais''' ({{langx|grc|Ἐλαΐς}}, "olive tree"), who produced olive oil.<ref name="tripp" /><ref>[[Tzetzes]] on [[Lycophron]], 570</ref>

== Mythology ==
According to the ''[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Bibliotheca]]'', their great-grandfather was [[Dionysus]], and he gave them the power to change water into wine, grass into wheat, and berries into olives. For this reason no one around them ever had to starve.<ref>[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Pseudo-Apollodorus]], ''Bibliotheca'' [[Epitome]] of Book 4.3.10</ref> According to other sources, however, the daughters were devotees of Dionysus, and the god rewarded them with the extraordinary ability to produce oil, grain, and wine from the ground or merely by touch.<ref name="tripp" />

When the Greek fleet set out to make [[Trojan War|war in Troy]], it was the Oenotropae who stocked their ships, and [[Agamemnon]] was so impressed with this that he abducted them in order to feed the Greek army. The daughters escaped, but their brother betrayed them again to the Greeks.<ref name="tripp" /> As they were about to be bound, however, Dionysus saved them by turning them into white [[dove]]s.<ref name="tripp" /><ref>[[Ovid]], ''[[Metamorphoses]]'' 13.640</ref><ref>[[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]], ''Commentary on [[Virgil|Virgil's]] [[Aeneid]]'' 3.80</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dionysus]]
* {{MoMP|13862|Naming citation}} for asteroid [[13862 Elais]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

== References ==

*[[Maurus Servius Honoratus]], ''In Vergilii carmina comentarii. Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii carmina commentarii;'' recensuerunt Georgius Thilo et Hermannus Hagen. Georgius Thilo. Leipzig. B. G. Teubner. 1881. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0053 Online version at the Perseus Digital Library].
*[[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Pseudo-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. [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].
*[[Ovid|Publius Ovidius Naso]], ''Metamorphoses'' translated by Brookes More (1859-1942). Boston, Cornhill Publishing Co. 1922. [https://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. [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0029 Latin text available at the Perseus Digital Library].

{{Metamorphoses in Greco-Roman mythology}}

[[Category:Agricultural goddesses]]
[[Category:Greek goddesses]]
[[Category:Metamorphoses into birds in Greek mythology]]