Macris
In Greek mythology, Macris was a daughter of Aristaeus and Autonoe. She gave newborn Dionysus honey to eat on Euboea after Hermes saved him. Macris was expelled from Euboea by Hera as punishment. Macris fled to a cave on a small island where she was helped by the goddess Demeter. Demeter taught the residents of the island how to grow cereal grain.[1] According to a scholiast commenting on verses in Argonautica, the island she fled to was subsequently named after her. Apollonius Rhodius, who composed Argonautica, only refers to the island as Drepane but he does mention its connection with Macris and Demeter. Modern Scholars have identified the island with modern Corfu, the historical Corcyra. According to Apollonius of Rhodes, the cave where Macris once lived was later the marriage chamber for Jason and Medea, and the marriage was consummated there on the Golden Fleece. Thereafter Macris's cave was called Medea's Cave.[2]
Citations
References
- Conner, Nancy. "The Everything Book of Classical Mythology" 2ed.
- Race, William H., Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica, Loeb Classical Library (2008)