Cyrene

Cyrene was a coastal city in Libya. It was named after the Thessalian nymph named Cyrene. Historically, Cyrene was a Greek colony, which became a major city in Libya.

Cyrene was the daughter of Hypseus, a Lapith king in Thessaly. Cyrene was renowned for her beauty and strength. Cyrene was probably an attendant of Artemis, and she was renowned for her skill in hunting. Apollo fell in love with Cyrene when he saw her wrestle with a lion.

Apollo spirited the nymph across the sea to Libya, where the god seduced her and Cyrene bore a son named Aristaeüs (Aristaeus), who became a minor agricultural god, and Idmon, who was a warrior seer and an Argonaut. Apollo gave Cyrene a long life as compensation for taking her son away.

In Libya, she was said to have founded a city called Cyrene.