In ancient Greek legend and mythology, Tmolus () is a legendary king of Lydia, a region in western Asia Minor. According to the story, Tmolus angered the goddess Artemis when he violated a follower of the goddess inside her temple, and she punished him with death. He might have also been the husband of Omphale, who inherited Lydia after his death.

Mount Tmolus was named after this king, though other personages were also associated with the mountain and Lydia. This Tmolus' story survives in late-antiquity paradoxographical accounts.

Family and background

Tmolus was the son of the war-god Ares and Theogone, and a king of Lydia; He had a son named Theoclymenus.

Mythology

Tmolus, while hunting upon the mountain Carmanorion, chanced upon a virginal and beautiful nymph by the name of Arrhippe. He instantly fell in love with her, but she was an attendant of the maiden-goddess Artemis, so she spurned him. Unable to persuade the nymph via fair means, Tmolus decided to gain her by force. Arrhippe, having no other means of escape, fled to the temple of Artemis as a supplicant. Tmolus however did not revere the holy sanctuary of the temple, and raped Arrhippe inside. The nymph was so traumatised by the events that she took her life by hanging.

Artemis was enraged, and punished Tmolus' hubristic insolence severely. She let a mad bull loose against him, which savaged and tossed Tmolus around until the king expired upon stakes and stones in agony. Tmolus' son Theoclymenus found his father's body, gave him a proper funeral, and then changed Mount Carmanorion's name to Mount Tmolus in honour of the dead king. This second-century work is today classified as paradoxography or a parody of paradoxography, and might have been written with a humorous, non-serious tone.

Suicide as a response to the shame over being raped is a common way of action among female rape victims in Greek mythology.

See also

Other similar Greek myths:

  • Clymenus
  • Arge
  • Medusa

References

Bibliography

  • 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. Online version at the Perseus Digital Library.