| Callisto | |
|---|---|
 Jupiter in the Guise of Diana Seducing Callisto, Jacob Adriaensz Backer, oil on canvas | |
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Other Names |
Megisto, Themisto |
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First Appearance |
Greek Mythology |
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Created by |
Unknown |
Origin[]
Jupiter and Callisto by Karel Philips Spierincks. In the background Jupiter's jealous wife Juno is dragging Callisto by the hair.
In Greek mythology, Callisto was a nymph, or the daughter of King Lycaon; the myth varies in such details. She was believed to be one of the followers of Artemis (Diana for the Romans) who attracted Zeus. Many versions of Callisto's story survive. According to some writers, Zeus transformed himself into the figure of Artemis to pursue Callisto, and she slept with him believing Zeus to be Artemis.
She became pregnant and when this was eventually discovered, she was expelled from Artemis's group, after which a furious Hera, the wife of Zeus, transformed her into a bear, although in some versions, Artemis is the one to give her an ursine form. Later, just as she was about to be killed by her son Arcas when he was hunting, she was set among the stars as Ursa Major ("the Great Bear") by Zeus. She was the bear-mother of the Arcadians, through her son by Zeus.
According to the mythographer Apollodorus, Zeus forced himself on Callisto when he disguised himself as Artemis or Apollo, in order to lure the sworn maiden into his embrace. Apollodorus is the only author to mention Apollo, but implies that it is not a rarity.
In other accounts, the birth mother of Arcas was called Megisto, daughter of Ceteus, son of Lycaon, or else Themisto, daughter of Inachus.
Public Domain Appearances[]
All published appearances of Callisto from before January 1, 1930 are public domain in the US.
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Hesiod, Astronomy Fragments
- The Library
- Idylls
- Description of Greece
- Clement, Recognitions
- Dionysiaca
- Fabulae
- Astronomica
- Metamorphoses
- Fasti
- Heroides
- Georgics
- The Argonautica
- Thebaid
- Achilleid
Notes[]
- The fourth Galilean moon of Jupiter and a main belt asteroid are named after Callisto.