Daughter of Ligdus and Telethusa near Phaestus, raised as a boy because her father vowed to expose any girl-child — who loved the maiden Ianthe and, on the eve of their wedding, was changed into a man by Isis at her mother's prayer.1
Near Phaestus and Gnossus lived Ligdus, poor but honest, and his wife Telethusa. When she was with child he swore to kill the infant if it were a girl, for they could not afford a dowry. Isis appeared to Telethusa in a dream and forbade the exposure; when a daughter was born the mother lied and named her Iphis after the grandfather.2
Iphis grew up with a girl's face but a boy's dress, and no one suspected the fraud except the nurse. When the time came to marry, Ligdus betrothed Iphis to Ianthe, fairest of the Cretan girls — and Iphis loved her with a love that seemed impossible, for both seemed maidens to the world.3
On the eve of the wedding Telethusa and Iphis prayed in Isis' temple. The goddess nodded; when mother and daughter left, Iphis walked with a lengthened stride, darker face, and short hair — a man in form. Venus and Hymenaeus came to the marriage fire, and Iphis took Ianthe as his bride.4
The atlas keeps this Cretan Iphis distinct from `iphis-anaxagoras`, king in the native third of Argos, and from the inset Iphis of Salamis in Pomona's orchard tale — a youth who hanged himself for scorned love, not the bride changed by Isis.5
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the spine ignites as you read · hover a bond on the card — every mention of them lights in the story