Atthis
Daughter of the early Athenian king Cranaus, from whom the region of Attica received its name
The Legend of Atthis
Atthis was the daughter of Cranaus, one of the earliest legendary kings of Athens. According to the Athenian tradition preserved by Pausanias and other sources, the entire region of Attica took its name from this princess, who died young. Before her time the land had been called Acte or Actaea, but Cranaus renamed it Atthis in honour of his beloved daughter after her premature death. This aetiological tradition tied the very identity of the Athenian homeland to a specific act of paternal grief. Though Atthis herself performed no heroic deeds, her importance lies in the name she bequeathed to one of the most significant regions in all of Greek civilisation. The Atthidographers, the local historians of Athens, took their scholarly designation from her name as well.
Parents
Cranaus
Symbols
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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