Europa (mythology)

Europa and the bull
Terracotta-group from Athens, around 470 BC, Staatliche Antikensammlungen in Munich

Europa is a figure from Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Phoenician king Agenor and of Telephassa. Zeus falls in love with her. Because of his wife Hera, he has to take the shape of a bull. Hermes makes the herd of cattle with the bull Zeus graze near the beach near Sidon, where Europa is playing. That way, Zeus is able to abduct Europa on his back. He swims to Matala on Crete where he shows himself. The children of Europa and Zeus are Minos, Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. Because of a prophecy of Aphrodite, the new continent Europe is named after Europa.

The oldest telling of the story can be found in the Illiad by Homer. There, she is the daughter of Phoinix.^[1] Other ancient tellings include "Europa" by Moschos, and the Metamorphoses by Ovid.^[2]

Agenor sent his sons to search for Europa, but they could not find her. Cadmus asks the Oracle at Delphi and is told to give up the search, and found Thebes in Boetia instead.

According to other sources, Europa remained on Crete, were she married Asterion, and became queen. Asterion did not have any children, so he adopted her sons.^[3]

The oldest known paintings which clearly show Europa date from the 7th century BC.

Europa (mythology) Media

Statue of Europa representing Europe at Palazzo Ferreria
The birthplace of Europa, Tyre, Lebanon
The Abduction of Europa by Rembrandt, 1632
Scene of Zeus in the form of a bull abducting Europa from an Apulian red-figure dinos, dating c. 370 – c. 330 BCE, now held in the Eskenazi Museum of Art
Europa and the bull as seen in the New and accurate description of the whole of Europe (1700).
Europa depicted on the 2013 Europa Series of euro banknotes
Europa, a moon of Jupiter
Europa velificans, "her fluttering tunic… in the breeze" (mosaic, Zeugma Mosaic Museum)