Hippolytus

Hippolytus in Greek myth, the son of Theseus and the Amazon queen Hippolytē; after the latter's death Theseus married Phaedra, the sister of Ariadne. During his absence Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus who, being honourable, rejected her advances. Moreover, as a devotee of the goddess Artemis he led a life of perfect chastity. Phaedra subsequently hanged herself, after writing a letter to Theseus denouncing Hippolytus as her seducer. Theseus, not believing his protestations of innocence, banished him, and also used against him one of the three curses which he had been given by the god Poseidon. As Hippolytus drove away from the palace along the shore a monster or bull sent from the sea by Poseidon terrified the horses; Hippolytus was thrown from the chariot and dragged to his death. Theseus learned of his error from Artemis too late. Hippolytus had a cult at Troezen (north-east Peloponnese), the scene of his death, which included laments for him and offerings of hair from girls about to marry. Virgil and other authors relate that Hippolytus was brought back to life by Asclepius and was conveyed by Diana (the Roman equivalent of Artemis) to the grove of the nymph Aricia at Nemi in Latium, where under the name of Virbius (vir bis, ‘a man twice’) he lived out his days. His son by Diana, also called Virbius according to Virgil, was among the heroes who resisted the settlement of Aeneas in Latium.