Phaedra

This article is on the mythological figure. For other meanings, see Phaedra.

Alexandre Cabanel's painting Phaedra (1880)

In Greek mythology, Phaedra is the daughter of Minos, wife of Theseus and the mother of Demophon and Acamas.

Though married to Theseus, Phaedra fell in love with Hippolytus, Theseus' son born by Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons. According to some sources, Hippolytus had scorned Aphrodite to become a devotee of Artemis and Aphrodite made Phaedra fall in love with him as a punishment. He rejected her. Alternatively, Phaedra's nurse told Hippolytus of her love, and he swore he would not reveal her as a source of information. In revenge, Phaedra wrote Theseus a letter that claimed Hippolytus raped her. She then killed herself. Theseus believed her and cursed Hippolytus with one of the three curses he had received from Poseidon. As a result, Hippolytus' horses were frightened by a sea monster and dragged their rider to his death. Alternatively, after Phaedra told Theseus that Hippolytus had raped her, Theseus killed his son and Phaedra committed suicide out of guilt for she had not intended for Hippolytus to die. Artemis later told Theseus the truth. In a third version, Phaedra simply told Theseus this and did not kill herself; Dionysus sent a wild bull which terrified Hippolytus' horses.

Phaedra in literature

Phaedra's story appears in several major works of literature, including:

• Euripides, Hippolytus, a Greek play
• Seneca the Younger, Phaedra, a Latin play
• Jean Racine, Phèdre (1677), a French play.
• Miguel de Unamuno, Fedra (1911), a Spanish play
• Per Olov Enquist, Till Fedra (1980), a Swedish play
• Sarah Kane, Phaedra's Love (1996), an English play
• Matthew Maguire, Phaedra (1995), an English play
• Robinson Jeffers, Cawdor (1928), an English long poem
• Algernon Charles Swinburne, "Phaedra," an English lyrical drama

Phaedra in music

Phaedra is also the subject of a number of musical works, including:

• Phaedra, Benjamin Britten, 1976
• Phaedra, an opera by Hans Werner Henze, 2007
• Phaedra, Tangerine Dream, 1974
• "Some Velvet Morning", Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood
• " Some Velvet Morning, " Slowdive"
• "Phaedra's Meadow", Blue Rodeo

References

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Phaedra

• Virgil, Aeneid VI.587; Ovid, Metamorphoses XV.497

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