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| Leda Other names: Thestias Biographical Leda, a prominent figure in Greek mythology, is best known as the mother of several important characters. According to one version of the myth, Leda was embraced both by her husband, Tyndareus, and by Zeus on the same night. From Tyndareus, she bore Castor and Clytaemnestra, while Zeus fathered Polydeuces and Helena. In some versions of the myth, Castor and Polydeuces are regarded as the sons of Tyndareus and Leda, while Helena is the daughter of Zeus. Other traditions reverse the story, making Castor and Polydeuces the sons of Zeus and Helena the daughter of Tyndareus. The most well-known version of the myth suggests that Zeus seduced Leda in the form of a swan. This union led to Leda laying two eggs, one from which Helena emerged, and the other from which Castor and Polydeuces were born. The moment of Zeus’s swan transformation was a popular subject in ancient art. According to Lactantius, Leda was raised to divine status after her death, under the name of Nemesis. Daughter of Thestius, King of Aetolia, and Laophonte. She married Tyndareus, king of Sparta, and had issue. She also had issue by Zeus. Her alternative parentage includes Thespius; Thyestes; Glaucas and Laophonte; Glaucas and Deidamia; Glaucas and Leucippe; Glaucas and Eurythemis; Glaucas and Paneidyia. |
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