Cydippé
（
Κυδίππη). The heroine of a very popular Greek love-story,
which was treated by Callimachus in a poem now unfortunately lost. The later Greek prose
romances were founded upon this version. Cydippé was the daughter of a well-born
Athenian. It happened that she and Acontius, a youth from the island of Ceos, who was in love
with her, had come at the same time to a festival of Artemis at Delos. Cydippé was
sitting in the temple of Artemis when Acontius threw at her feet an apple on which was
written, “I swear by the sanctuary of Artemis that I will wed Acontius.”
Cydippé took up the apple and read the words aloud, then threw it from her and took
no notice of Acontius and his addresses. After this her father wished on several occasions to
give her in marriage, but she always fell ill before the wedding. The father consulted the
Delphic oracle, which revealed to him that the illness of his daughter was due to the wrath of
Artemis, by whose shrine she had sworn and broken her oath. He accordingly gave her to
Acontius in marriage.
