Chapter 15: The Line of Tantalos
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♠ Fab 84 – Hyginus, Fabulae
OENOMAUS: Oinomaus, son of Mars and Asterope, daughter of Atlas, had as wife Evarete, daughter of Acrisius. By her he became father of Hippodamia, a maiden of exceptional beauty, but he did not give her in marriage to anyone because an oracle had told him to beware of death from his son-in-law. And so when many sought her in marriage, he set a contest; and, since he had horses swifter than the wind, he said the would give her to the one who competed with him in a four-horse chariot race and came out ahead, but that the loser should be put to death. Many were put to death. Finally Pelops, son of Tantalus, came, but when he saw fixed above the door the heads of those who had sought Hippodamia as wife, out of fear of the cruelty of the king he regretted having come. And so he won the confidence of his charioteer, Myrtilus, and promised him the half of the kingdom for his help. Myrtilus pledged his word, and when he yoked the horses did not put the pin in the wheels. So the horses when driven at full speed tore to pieces the weakened chariot of Oinomaus. Pelops, coming home as victor with Hippodamia and Myrtilus, though the affair would disgrace him and refused to keep his promise to Myrtilus but cast him into the sea, which is called Myrtoan from this. He took Hippodamia to his country which is called Peloponnesus; there by Hippodamia he became father of Hippalcus, Atreus, and Thyestes. Latin Text
♠ Paus 8.14.11 – Pausanias, Description of Greece
Myrtilus himself, too, was in love with Hippodameia, but his courage failing him he shrank from the competition and served Oenomaus as his charioteer. At last, it is said, he proved a traitor to Oenomaus, being induced thereto by an oath sworn by Pelops that he would let him be with Hippodameia for one night. So when reminded of his oath Pelops threw him out of the ship. The people of Pheneus say that the body of Myrtilus was cast ashore by the tide, that they took it up and buried it, and that every year they sacrifice to him by night as to a hero. Greek Text
♠ Σ G 3.7 – Scholia to Vergil, Georgics – Servii Grammatici qui feruntur in Vergilii Bucolica et Georgica Commentarii, p. 273, ed. G. Thilo. Leipzig 1881.
♠ Σ Or 990 – Scholia to Euripides, Orestes – Scholia in Euripidem, vol. 1, pp. 196-97, ed. E. Schwartz. Berlin 1887.
♠ ΣA Il 2.104 – Scholia A to Homer, Iliad –Scholia Graeca in Homeri Iliadem I p. 79, ed. W. Dindorf and E. Maass. Oxford 1875.
♠ Ol 1.89 – Pindar, Olympian Odes
She [Hipodameia] bore six sons, leaders of the people eager for excellence. Greek Text
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Edited by Elena Bianchelli, Retired Senior Lecturer of Classical Languages and Culture, Univ. of Georgia, April 2024.
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