Antiope (1)

The consort of Zeus and the mother of Amphion and Zethos (Zethus).

As with many of the older myths, there is a certain amount of ambiguity as to who was who; in The Odyssey, Antiope is said to be the daughter of the river Asopos (Asopus) and the sister of Sinope but in Argonautika she is said to be the daughter of Nykteus (Nycteus). The poet, Euripides, seems to agree with the version in the Argonautika which makes it easier for the tragic plot to have some bloodshed and revenge.

The story of Antiope and her sons, Amphion and Zethos, was mentioned in The Odyssey where Odysseus encountered her “shade” at the entrance to the Underworld; she explained how Zeus had seduced her and engendered the twins, Amphion and Zethos; the two brothers are credited as the builders of the foundations and bulwarks of the city of Thebes.

In Argonautika, it is clear that Antiope’s father, Nykteus and her uncle, Lykus (Lycus), were both rulers of the city of Thebes and both died as a direct result of Zeus’ relationship with Antiope.

• Odyssey, book 11, lines 260-265
• Argonautika, book 1, line 736; book 4, line 1090