Galaxy/The codex of Asia

In Greek mythology, Asia (Ancient Greek Ἀσία) is an Oceanid daughter of Oceanus and Tethys. Hesiod lists her among the holy Oceanids who nurture youths; Apollodorus makes her wife of the Titan Iapetus and mother of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius — the role Hesiod gives to her sister Clymene.

Adapted from Wikipedia, "Asia (Oceanid)" · CC BY-SA 4.0

I.Oceanid and Iapetid mother

Hesiod's Theogony names Asia once in the Oceanid catalogue (line 359) among daughters of Tethys and Ocean who, with Apollo and the Rivers, have youths in their keeping. For the sons of Iapetus he names another Oceanid, Clymene.

Apollodorus opens his Oceanid list with Asia, Styx, Electra, Doris, Eurynome, Amphitrite, and Metis, and makes Asia the mother by Iapetus of Atlas, Prometheus, Epimetheus, and Menoetius. Herodotus records a tradition naming Asia as Prometheus' wife rather than mother, and a Lydian claim that the continent took its name from Asies of Sardis instead.

II.Homonym care

The atlas node asia is this Oceanid alone. Do not confuse her with the geographic continent as a personification outside the genealogical dispute, nor with Clymene the Oceanid mother of the Iapetids in Hesiod (a separate node).

AT A GLANCE

Greek nameAsia (Ἀσία)
Typenymph
Domainsfresh waters · the nurture of youths
ParentageOceanus · Tethys
SymbolsOceanid company · Iapetid maternity (Apollodorus)
Cult centersCosmic Oceanid sphere (no civic cult)
EtymologyAncient Greek Ἀσία; later tradition connects the continental name Asia with this Oceanid or with a Lydian Asies son of Cotys.
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