Agamede facts for kids

Agamede was a name given to two different women in ancient Greek stories and legends. Both were important figures in their own ways. One was known for her healing skills, and the other was a princess.

Who Was Agamede?

Agamede (Ἀγαμήδη in Ancient Greek) means ‘very cunning’. This name was used for two separate women in the myths and legends of ancient Greece.

Agamede the Healer

• This Agamede lived around the 12th century BC.
• According to Homer, a famous ancient Greek poet, she was a skilled Greek doctor.
• She knew all about the healing powers of plants that grew on Earth.
• Agamede was a princess from the city of Elis.
• She was the oldest daughter of Augeas, who was the King of the Epeans.
• She married Mulius, who was the first person killed by Nestor in a war. This war was fought between Elis and Pylos.
• Some stories say she was the mother of Belus, Actor, and Dictys. Their father was the sea god Poseidon.
• Other writers, like Propertius and Theocritus, called her Perimede.
• Later, around the 4th to 1st centuries BC, people started to see Agamede as a sorceress. She was thought to be like other famous magical women, such as Circe or Medea.

Agamede, Princess of Lesbos

The hill Vounaros is believed to be the location of ancient Agamede.

• This Agamede was a princess from the island of Lesbos.
• Her father was King Macar.
• She had several sisters who were also princesses. Their names were Methymna, Mytilene, Antissa, Arisbe, and Issa.
• These sisters were so important that cities on Lesbos were named after them.
• Agamede also had brothers named Cydrolaus, Neandrus, Leucippus, and Eresus.
• It was believed that a town on Lesbos was named after this Agamede.
• However, this town had already disappeared by the time Pliny wrote about it.
• Today, experts believe the ancient ruins on a small hill called "Vounaros" are where the town of Agamede once stood. This hill is about 3 kilometers north of the ancient city of Pyrrha.

See also

In Spanish: Agameda para niños