Menippe and Metioche

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Greek mythology, Menippe and Metioche were daughters of Orion. After Orion was killed they were brought up by their mother, and Athena taught them the art of weaving and Aphrodite gave them beauty. Once their homeland Aonia at the base of Mt. Helicon was struck by a plague, and the oracle of Apollo Gortynius, when consulted, ordered the inhabitants to propitiate the two Erinnyes by the sacrifice of two maidens, who were to offer themselfs to death of their own accord. Minippe and Metioche offered themselvs; they thrice invoked the infernal gods, and killed themselvs with their shuttles. Persephone and Hades metamorphoesed them into comets. The Aonians erected them a sanctuary near Orchomenos, where a propitiatory sacrifice was offered to them every year by youths and maidens. The Aeolians called these maidens Koronides.