When Idas came from Messenia to ask for the hand of Marpessa, daughter of Evenus, the maiden’s father refused his request because he wanted his daughter to remain a virgin. Idas went to his father Poseidon and begged for the use of a winged chariot. Poseidon consented to his use of the chariot, and Idas stole Marpessa away from a band of dancers and fled to Pleuron in Aetolia. Her father, after chasing the couple for a long time and realizing he could not catch up to them, killed his horses and then drowned himself in a nearby river Lycormas and became immortal. The river was named later after him. Apollo also pursued them in his own chariot, wanting Marpessa for himself. As the two fought for the girl’s hand, Zeus eventually intervened and commanded Marpessa to choose between her mortal lover and the god. Marpessa chose Idas, reasoning to Apollo that had she chosen the god, she would have eventually grown old and lost his affections.
Appearance List Literature: Homer’s Iliad (c. 8th century BC), The Argonautica by Apollonius Rhodius (3rd century BCE), Apollodorus’ Library (1st–2nd century CE), etc.
Sample Read A Book of Myths (1915) by Jeanie Lang [Internet Archive]
Description When Idas came from Messenia to ask for the hand of Marpessa, daughter of Evenus, the maiden’s father refused his request because he wanted his daughter to remain a virgin. Idas went to his father Poseidon and begged for the use of a winged chariot. Poseidon consented to his use of the chariot, and Idas stole Marpessa away from a band of dancers and fled to Pleuron in Aetolia. Her father, after chasing the couple for a long time and realizing he could not catch up to them, killed his horses and then drowned himself in a nearby river Lycormas and became immortal. The river was named later after him. Apollo also pursued them in his own chariot, wanting Marpessa for himself. As the two fought for the girl’s hand, Zeus eventually intervened and commanded Marpessa to choose between her mortal lover and the god. Marpessa chose Idas, reasoning to Apollo that had she chosen the god, she would have eventually grown old and lost his affections.
