Idyia
Oceanid nymph known as the knowing one and queen of Colchis beside King Aeetes
The Myth of Idyia
Idyia — whose name means "the knowing one" — was a daughter of Oceanus and Tethys who became the wife of King Aeetes in the distant land of Colchis at the eastern edge of the Black Sea. She bore Medea, one of the most complex and tragic figures in all Greek myth. Through Medea, Idyia's lineage became entangled with Jason and the Argonauts, the murder of Absyrtus, the destruction of Corinth's royal house, and the tragic fate of Medea's own children. Apollonius of Rhodes names her specifically in the Argonautica.
Parents
Oceanus and Tethys
Children
Medea, Chalciope
Symbols
Fun Fact
Her name "the knowing one" proved prophetic given her daughter Medea's mastery of arcane knowledge
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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