Amymo'ne
(
Ἀμυμώνη), one of the daughters of Danaus and Elephantis. When Danaus arrived in Argos, the country, according to the wish of Poseidon, who was indignant at Inachus, was suffering from a drought, and Danaus sent out Amymone to fetch water. Meeting a stag, she shot at it, but hit a sleeping satyr, who rose and pursued her. Poseidon appeared, and rescued the maiden from the satyr, but appropriated her to himself, and then shewed her the wells at Lerna. (
Apollod. 2.1.4.)
According to another form of the tradition, Amymone fell asleep on her expedition in search of water, and was surprised by a satyr.
She invoked Poseidon, who appeared and cast his trident at the satyr, which however struck into a rock, so that the Satyr escaped. Poseidon, after ravishing the maiden, bade her draw the trident from the rock, from which a threefold spring gushed forth immediately, which was called after her the well of Amymone. Her son by Poseidon was called Nauplius. (Hygin.
Pab. 169; Lucian,
Dial. Marin. 6;
Paus. 2.37.1.)
The story of Amymole was the subject of one of the satyric dramas of Aeschylus, and is represented upon a vase which was discovered at Naples in 1790. (Böttiger,
Amalthea, ii. p. 275.)
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