SPARTE

SPARTE (Sparta) was the Naiad-nymph of the main spring, well or fountain of the town of Sparta in Lakedaimonia (southern Greece). She was a daughter of the river-god Eurotas and wife of the country's eponymous king Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon).

PARENTS

EUROTAS (Apollodorus 3.116, Pausanias 8.25.2)

OFFSPRING

AMYKLAS, EURYDIKE (by Lakedaimon) (Apollodorus 3.116)

ENCYCLOPEDIA

SPARTA (Sparta), a daughter of Eurotas by Clete, and wife of Lacedaemon, by whom she became the mother of Amyclas and Eurydice. (Apollod. iii. 10. § 3). From her the city of Sparta was believed to have derived its name (Paus. iii. 1. § 3; Schol. Eurip. Orest. 615). She was represented on a tripod at Amyclae. (Paus. iii. 18. § 5).

Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

CLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES

Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 3. 116 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :
"Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon) and Sparte (Sparta), a daughter of Eurotas--a son of autochthonous Lelex and a Naias Nymphe (Naiad Nymph) named Kleokhareia (Cleocharia)--were parents of Amyklas (Amyclas) and a daughter Eurydike (Eurydice) whom Akrisios (Acrisius) married."

Pausanias, Description of Greece 3. 1. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :
"Lakedaimon (Lacedaemon) was wedded to Sparta, a daughter of Eurotas. When he came to the throne, he first changed the name of the land and its inhabitants, calling them after himself, and next he founded and named after his wife a city, which even down to our day has been called Sparta."

SOURCES

GREEK

• Apollodorus, The Library - Greek Mythography C2nd A.D.
• Pausanias, Description of Greece - Greek Travelogue C2nd A.D.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A complete bibliography of the translations quoted on this page.