Hiera (mythology)

In Greek mythology, Hiera (Ancient Greek: Ἱέρα) is the wife of Telephus, the mythic founder of the city of Pergamum.[1] She is depicted in the frieze on the interior of the Altar of Pergamum.[2]

Mythology

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During the Trojan War the Greeks attacked Pergamum, either because they mistook it for Troy, or because an alliance existed between Troy and Pergamum. Hiera united a cavalry of Mysian women to repel the attack.[3] However, in the battle Hiera was killed by the Greek warrior Nireus.[2] Telephus was so grief-stricken that he called a cease-fire to hold the funeral for Hiera, before restarting the battle and finally driving the invaders away.[2]

It is possible that the ancient city of Hierapolis (modern Pamukkale, Turkey) was named in her honor, though the name can also be read as just 'holy city'.[4] She had two sons with Telephus, Tarchon and Tyrsenus.[1]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Smith, William (1849). Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. Boston: C.C. Little and J. Brown. pp. 990, 1196.
  2. ^ a b c Schraudolph, edited by Renée Dreyfus, Ellen (1996). Pergamon : the Telephos frieze from the Great Altar. San Francisco, Calif.: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. p. 17,74. ISBN 0884010899. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ Philostratus, Flavius; Berenson, Jennifer; Bradshaw, Ellen (2003). On Heroes. Leiden: Brill. pp. 33–34. ISBN 9004127011. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  4. ^ Brenk, Frederick E. (1998). Relighting the souls : studies in Plutarch, in Greek literature, religion, and philosophy, and in the New Testament background. Stuttgart: Steiner. p. 381. ISBN 351507158X.