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In Greek mythology, Hypsipyle was the Queen of Lemnos.

During her reign, Aphrodite cursed the women of the island for having neglected her shrines. All the women developed extreme halitosis that made them repugnant to the men of the nation. The men took up with female slaves taken on raids on Thrace. The women of the island decided upon revenge and, in one night, killed all their male relatives. Hypsipyle alone spared a male. She hid her father, Thoas, from the vengeful plan.

Soon after the androcide, Jason and the Argonauts stopped at Lemnos on their way to Colchis. The Argonauts remained on Lemnos for several months and, during that time, had extensive relations with the women of Lemnos. Jason impregnated Hypsipyle and swore eternal fidelity to her. The product of that pregnancy were twins, Euneus and Thoas (or Deiphilus or Nebrophonus). Jason sailed away and quickly forgot his vows.

The Lemnian laws forced Hypsipyle to send her children away. She sent them to her father at Chios. In doing this the Lemnian women learned she had spared her father and were very angry at her having done this. They forced Hypsipyle to flee for her life. She and her sons were taken by pirates and sold to Lycurgus, king of Nemea. She was given charge of Lycurgus's only son, Opheltes (or Archemorus).

When the Argives (of Aeschylus's "Seven Against Thebes" or Statius' "Thebaid") marched against Thebes, they met Hypsipyle and made her show them a fountain at Langia where they could get water. She set down Opheltes in a meadow amoung flowers. When she did this he was killed by a snake in her absence. Lycurgus wanted revenge upon Hypsipyle, but she was protected by Adrastus, the leader of the Argives.

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[edit] References

Giovanni Boccaccio’s Famous Women translated by Virginia Brown 2001, p. 35-36; Cambridge and London, Harvard University Press; ISBN 0-674-01130-9