Cornucopia
conceptThe horn of plenty, originally the horn of the goat Amaltheia who nursed the infant Zeus on Crete, symbolising inexhaustible abundance and nourishment.
The Myth
The cornucopia originated with Amaltheia, the goat who nursed the infant Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete, hidden from his father Cronus who devoured his children. When the young Zeus accidentally broke off one of Amaltheia's horns, he blessed it to produce unlimited food and drink for its possessor. In another tradition, Heracles broke off the horn of the river god Achelous during their wrestling match for the hand of Deianeira. The Naiads filled the broken horn with flowers and fruit, and it became sacred. The cornucopia was associated with Tyche, goddess of fortune, and with Plutus, the god of wealth. Demeter and Persephone were also depicted holding it, connecting abundance to the agricultural cycle and the changing seasons.
Parents
Amaltheia, Zeus
Symbols
Fun Fact
Every November, millions of Americans place a cornucopia centrepiece on their Thanksgiving table without knowing they're recreating a 3,000-year-old Greek myth about a baby god and a goat. The horn-shaped wicker basket overflowing with autumn produce is a direct descendant of the horn of Amaltheia that nursed Zeus on Crete.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Naiads
nymphNaiads presided over every spring, stream, river, lake, and fountain — their water held prophetic...
Achelous
godAchelous was the god of the mightiest river in Greece and father of the Sirens — he wrestled...
Cronus
titanKronos (Cronus) overthrew his father Uranus and ruled the Golden Age, but devoured his own children...
Deianeira
heroThe wife of Heracles whose love inadvertently killed the greatest hero in Greek mythology when she...
Demeter
godGoddess of grain, harvest, and the fertility of the earth. When her daughter Persephone was...
Demeter (Grain)
godDemeter was the goddess of grain, harvest, and fertility whose grief over Persephone's abduction...
Demeter Thesmophoros
godAn epithet of Demeter as bringer of divine law and civilised customs, honoured at the Thesmophoria,...
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Hera Teleia
godAn epithet of Hera as goddess of marriage and its fulfilment, worshipped as the divine model of the...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...
Heracles (Labours)
heroHeracles performed twelve seemingly impossible labours as penance for killing his family in a...
Mount Olympus (Sacred)
placeThe highest mountain in Greece and mythological home of the twelve Olympian gods, whose...