EUROPA (phoenician princess)

The myth of her abduction began when Zeus disguised himself as a bull to court her, either joining her in a game on the beach or bellowing musically to entice her.^9,10 Europa was gathering flowers in a meadow alongside some nymphs when she was shown drawing up her timid feet, appearing afraid of the dashing waters, and crying out to her companions.^11,6 Zeus swam into the sea while she clung to his horn and skirt, carrying her across the briny water from a distant land to reach Crete.^{10,12,13,3,2,6} Some accounts describe her as a beloved load carried by the bull, while others note that the bull itself became a constellation in the southern sky.^14,15

Upon her arrival in Crete, Europa was made to live with Asterion, the Cretan prince, who took her as his wife.^16,17,6 Zeus lay with Europa beneath a specific plane tree at Gortyna, and she eventually concealed herself at a location named Teumessus.^18,19 Asterius raised the children born to Europa because he had no children of his own with her, ensuring their survival in the Cretan court.^16,17

Cadmus was sent by the king of Phoenicia to search for Europa, ordered to bring her back or never return, and his mother Telephassa joined the group.^20,21,1 Cadmus traveled to Delphi to seek divine guidance, where the god instructed him to stop worrying about her, and he later went to Thebes in search of the woman.^22,23 During his quest, Cadmus stopped at the island of Thera, killed the dragon guarding the spring of Ares, and searched a wide territory but failed to locate her.^24,23,20 According to Pherecydes, Europa gave the golden necklace to Cadmus.⁷

Europa was assigned the role of warder for the island of Crete, and her family line originated from Zeus's union with her.^25,9 Zeus gave Talos to Europa to serve as the protector of Crete, further securing her role in the island's defense.²⁵ Her bones were carried in a myrtle garland during a festival celebrated in Corinth, where she was also referred to by the name Ellotis.²⁶ In some local cults, Demeter was referred to by the name Europa, blending her identity with other divine figures in the memory of the people.²⁷ Though her abduction was considered a wrong done by Greeks in some Persian accounts, her story remained a central part of the myths of Crete and the heroism of her sons.⁵