Melanippe

Heroine of two lost plays of Euripides. Melanippe (Μελανίππη) was the daughter of Aeolus, king of Thessaly, and of Hippo, daughter of the Centaur Cheiron. However, Hyginus also wrote that Melanippe's father could be Desmontes.

Melanippe grew into a young woman whose beauty attracted the attention of the sea god, Poseidon. The unfortunate girl fell pregnant, and became the mother of twins. In a rage, Aeolus blinded his own daughter and confined her in his dungeon. Aeolus had his grandsons taken into the wild woods where they were exposed to die.

A cowherd found the twins suckled by a cow. The cowherd brought the infants to Queen Theano, wife of Metapontus, king of Metapontium. Theano, who had failed to give a child to Metapontus, pretended that these twins belonged to him. So when Theano finally bore two sons of her own, Metapontus thought that all four were his sons. Theano named the foundlings Aeolus (the Younger) and Boeotus.

As the four boys grew, Theano feared that her real sons would be disinherited, because her husband preferred Aeolus and Boeotus than his own real sons. Theano plotted to have the sons of Melanippe killed. During a hunting trip, Theano's sons attacked Aeolus and Boeotus, but Poseidon was watching over his sons, and intervened. In the ensuing struggle, Theano's sons were killed.

The sea god revealed that he was their real father. Poseidon also informed them about the fate of their mother. So Boeotus and Aeolus returned to Thessaly, and killed King Aeolus. They freed their mother and brought her back to Metapontus. Poseidon restored Melanippe's sight.

When Metapontus heard the entire truth about the true parentage of Aeolus and Boeotus and the conspiracy of his late wife, Metapontus married Melanippe and adopted the twins as his own sons. Aeolus and Boeotus became the eponyms of the Aeolians and Boeotians.

And Melanippe's long suffering ended, and she lived happily ever after.