Callirhoe
Role: maiden · First appears: Book 7 · Chapter 21
In Book 7, Chapter 21, Callirhoe rejects Coresus’s wooing despite his promises and gifts, while he is enamoured of her. At Dodona, an oracle says that to end Dionysus’s wrath, Coresus must sacrifice her or find someone to die in her place. At the altar, he kills himself instead. Seeing him dead at the well in Calydon, Callirhoe takes her own life.
Book 8, Chapter 24, recounts that Alcmæon married Callirhoe, daughter of Achelous, and that they had two sons, Acarnan and Amphoterus. When she desired Eriphyle’s necklace, she sent Alcmæon unwillingly to Phegia to obtain it.
Relationship record
Life events
- Callirhoe rejects Coresus’s wooing despite his promises and gifts.(Book 7 · Chapter 21)
- With: Coresus
- “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”
- An oracle orders Coresus to sacrifice Callirhoe or find a substitute.(Book 7 · Chapter 21 · 📍 Dodona)
- Coresus kills himself at the altar instead of Callirhoe.(Book 7 · Chapter 21)
- With: Coresus
- “then Coresus took his place as sacrificial priest, and yielding to love and not to anger slew himself instead of her.”
- Callirhoe kills herself at the well after seeing Coresus dead.(Book 7 · Chapter 21 · 📍 Calydon)
- With: Coresus
- “And when she saw Coresus lying dead the poor girl repented, and, moved by pity and shame at his fate, cut her own throat at the well in Calydon”
- Alcmæon married Callirhoe, daughter of Achelous, in Acarnanian tradition.(Book 8 · Chapter 24)
- Alcmæon and Callirhoe had two sons, Acarnan and Amphoterus.(Book 8 · Chapter 24)
- With: Alcmæon Acarnan Amphoterus
- “and had by her two sons Acarnan and Amphoterus”
- Callirhoe sent Alcmæon unwillingly to Phegia to obtain Eriphyle’s necklace.(Book 8 · Chapter 24 · 📍 Phegia)
- With: Alcmæon
- “Callirhoe desired that the necklace of Eriphyle should be hers, and so she sent Alcmæon against his will into Phegia”
Book 7 · Chapter 21
- admirer->admired with Coresus (Coresus loved Callirhoe, who disliked him.) “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”
- with Coresus (Callirhoe killed herself after Coresus died.) “And when she saw Coresus lying dead the poor girl repented, and, moved by pity and shame at his fate, cut her own throat at the well in Calydon”
- with Dionysus (The oracle required Callirhoe to be sacrificed to Dionysus unless a substitute volunteered.) “which would not end till Coresus either sacrificed to Dionysus Callirhoe or somebody who should volunteer to die instead of her.”
- with Coresus (Coresus sacrificed himself instead of Callirhoe.) “then Coresus took his place as sacrificial priest, and yielding to love and not to anger slew himself instead of her.”
- admirer: Coresus “He was enamoured of the maiden Callirhoe, but in proportion to the greatness of his love was the dislike of the maiden to him.”
- with Dionysus (Dionysus's wrath required Callirhoe's sacrifice or a substitute.) “it was the wrath of Dionysus that had caused this trouble, which would not end till Coresus either sacrificed to Dionysus Callirhoe or somebody who should volunteer to die instead of her.”
Book 8 · Chapter 24
- married with Alcmæon “and married Callirhoe the daughter of Achelous”
- parent: Achelous “Callirhoe the daughter of Achelous”
- child: Acarnan “and had by her two sons Acarnan and Amphoterus”
- child: Amphoterus “and had by her two sons Acarnan and Amphoterus”
- with Alcmæon (interaction) “so she sent Alcmæon against his will into Phegia”
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Extracted from the original text of Pausanias' Description of Greece. Made with Rho MD.