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Hypsipyle

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Queen of Lemnos in Greek myth who spared her father during a massacre of men and later aided Jason and the Argonauts.

Detailed Definition
Hypsipyle spared her father during the Lemnian women’s massacre and later bore Jason’s sons. Her story blends mercy and betrayal. Poets reference her to explore themes of loyalty, maternal love, and the complex morality of survival in mythic crisis.
Example
Example in poetry:
Apollonius Rhodius’s Argonautica recounts Hypsipyle’s love for Jason and rule over Lemnos; Ovid’s Heroides includes a letter from Hypsipyle to Jason; Statius’s Thebaid details her later life as nurse to Opheltes; Later tragedy uses her as a figure of maternal and royal duty; In allegory, Hypsipyle represents loyalty betrayed yet enduring.
Additional Notes
Hypsipyle, queen of Lemnos, spares her father during the Lemnian women’s massacre and later loves Jason. Apollonius Rhodius and Statius detail her story. Students should analyze her as a complex ruler—merciful yet entangled in betrayal. Her later role as nurse to Opheltes (in Thebaid) adds maternal depth. Related: Jason, Lemnos, female leadership.
Also Known As
Hypsipyle the Queen of Lemnos Daughter of Thoas Savior of Jason Nurse of the Argonauts
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