Leucippus of Messene
Messenian king whose daughters Hilaeira and Phoebe were carried off by Castor and Polydeuces.
The Legend of Leucippus of Messene
Leucippus was the king of Messene and son of Perieres. His daughters Hilaeira (the "shining one") and Phoebe (the "bright one") were both betrothed to their cousins Idas and Lynceus. They were also priestesses — Hilaeira to Athena, Phoebe to Artemis. Castor and Polydeuces, the Dioscuri from Sparta, abducted both women — an act that triggered the lethal quarrel between the two pairs of heroes that ultimately led to Castor's death and Polydeuces' choice of shared immortality. Leucippus himself plays no active role in the abduction or its aftermath; he is memorable primarily as the father of two priestesses whose abduction set in motion the end of the Dioscuri saga. His daughters are often depicted on ancient vases being carried off by the twins on horseback — one of the most frequently illustrated mythological scenes in Archaic Greek art.
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