Europa

Mortal Phoenician princess, daughter of Agenor king of Tyre. Carried off from the Phoenician shore by Zeus in the form of a tame white bull; bore him the three Cretan kings — Minos, Rhadamanthus, Sarpedon. Eponymous origin of the continent of Europe.

Children

• Minos
• Rhadamanthus
• Sarpedon (Cretan)

Domains

• kingship

Powers

• Bear the three judge-kings of Crete to Zeus

Epithets

• Ἑλλωτίς grc · Hellotis · cultthe cult-title of Europa at the Hellotia of Gortyn/CorinthAthenaeus 15.678a-b; Etymologicum Magnum s.v. Hellotia (secondary)

Relations

• lover: ZeusCarried off from Tyre to Crete by Zeus in the form of a white bull.Hom. Il. 14.321-322; Hes. fr. 140; Apollod. 3.1.1 (primary)
• mother of: MinosHom. Il. 14.321-322 (primary)
• mother of: RhadamanthusHom. Il. 14.321-322 (primary)
• mother of: Sarpedon (Cretan)Apollod. 3.1.1 (primary)

Sources

• existence: Homer Iliad 14.321-322; Hesiod fr. 140 M-W; Apollodorus 3.1.1-2; Moschus Europa; Ovid Metamorphoses 2.836-875 (primary)